Portrait Of The Count d'Orsay, Alfred Guillaume Gabriel Grimod d'Orsay, 19th Century Francis Grant

Portrait of the Count d'Orsay, Alfred Guillaume Gabriel Grimod d'Orsay, 19th century

By Sir Francis Grant PRA (British, 1803–1878) - Estimated at up to $215,000

Large portrait of the Count d’Orsay, 19th century, oil on canvas by Francis Grant. Bust portrait of the Count d’Orsay, a popular dandy and man of fashion from the early 19th century, of exceptional quality and condition. Presented in a gilded oval mat. Authenticated by Bonhams, London. Inscription: “Comte Dorsay by Frank Grant” (on the stretcher).

Provenance: Private collection, United Kingdom.

Alfred Guillaume Gabriel, Count d’Orsay (1800–1852), was a sculptor and painter. In his youth, he served as a page to Emperor Napoleon, then joined the French army. He settled in England with the widowed Countess of Blessington in 1831, where they hosted a renowned salon for twenty years. D’Orsay, elegant, handsome, and charming, was described in Benjamin Haydon’s *Journal* in 1838 as “a perfect Adonis.” A famous dandy, he was a paragon of good taste.

Grant was, it seems, a close friend. He painted an equestrian portrait of D’Orsay in 1836, exhibited at the Royal Academy that same year, and another in 1848. D’Orsay also appears in *The Ascot Hunt of 1835*. He was a member of the Royal Hunt, although he likely first met Grant at Melton.


Dimensions: 99 cm x 79 cm