Portrait Of Lady With Dog Period Late 18th Century

Touching testimony in pencil of the portrait of this woman with the headdress holding a dog in her arms. The lines of the drawing are precise and demonstrate the mastery of their author. This portrait of a seated woman in an oval medallion decorated with flowers and foliage with trompe l'oeil shadows for the lower part. A legend at the bottom of the oval says: Citizen Lefebvre aged 72 years and three months drawn by the citizen Le Gay first student of the Louvre Academy. Designed [...] from the French Republic. This precious information gives us several indications, first of all the very precise age of the subject which, for the time was important, therefore rare and deserved to be clarified. Then, the words citizen and citizen which clearly specify the beginning of the French revolutionary period which characterized the end of the 18th century. Then, the name of the designer Le Gay known in particular for his portraits during the 18th century. Some details on the artist: Pierre Etienne LE GAY dit LE GAY de BRIE (Meaux, around 1758 -?, After 1815). A student of Dean and Augustin, Le Gay is represented at the Musée des Arts décoratifs in Paris, at the MBA in Caen, at the miniature museum, Montélimar, at the Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, etc. (Internet information). A famous portrait: Joseph Balsamo, known as the Count of Cagliostro, signed Le Gay, dated 1778 and property of the national museum of the castles of Versailles and Trianon. He is registered with BENEZIT as such: Le Gay, portraitist of the 18th century (Ec. Fr.). Note: the later frame (1st half of the 19th century) is not in excellent condition but it has the merit of protecting this work, an old cardboard box closes the back where the artist's name is written. I glued strips of kraft paper to isolate all of the dust. Dimensions at sight: 16.5 cm X 23 cm. This portrait remains an excellent historical document for the enthusiasts that you are! But also for collectors. Delivery: 10 € for mainland France.