Pamono Atelier of Pierre Gobert, Louis XV King of France & Maria Leszczynska, 18th Century, Oil on Canvases, Framed, Set of 2> Old Masters

Pierre Gobert (Fontainebleau 1662 – Paris 1744) Atelier of
Pair of Portraits of Louis XV, King of France, and Queen Consort Maria Leszczyńska

Oils on canvas (2), 41 x 32 cm, framed 53 x 44 cm.

It is easy to identify the subjects in this fascinating pair of portraits as the rulers of France: Louis XV of Bourbon, who ascended the throne in 1715 at the tender age of thirteen and nicknamed “the Beloved,” and Maria Leszczyńska, Queen Consort of France and Navarre and daughter of King Stanislaus I of Poland.

The queen is depicted in three-quarter length, smiling and turned toward the viewer. She wears a gray wig with her hair gathered at the nape of her neck, a tiara on her head, and pendants in her ears. She wears a gown with a deep neckline in red velvet, brocaded with gold thread, rich lace sleeves, and a bodice adorned with a bib adorned with diamonds and pearls. Around her shoulders rests a blue velvet cloak embroidered with the heraldic fleurs-de-lis of the French Crown and lined with ermine.

The sovereign, also depicted in three-quarter view, wears a breastplate over a coat, with a blue sash on the shoulder and a white collar around his neck. His face displays the same reassuring expression that illuminates his consort’s face.

These portraits are presumed to be derived from a pair of official paintings of the sovereigns, most likely by Jean-Baptiste van Loo (1684-1745). These prototypes are traditionally dated to the year of the wedding, 1725, and several smaller replicas are known.

Similar features of the rulers can be seen in paintings by contemporaries, such as those by Charles van Loo (collections of the Palace of Versailles, Salon de Mars), Jean Marc Nattier (National Museum, Warsaw), and Alexis-Simon Belle (Trianon). Another painter who devoted himself to these subjects is Pierre Gobert (Fontainebleau 1662 – Paris 1744), whose portraiture shows close stylistic affinities with our two subjects.

One of the most significant and sought-after portrait painters of his time and a leading exponent of the French school, working in France at the courts of Louis XIV and then Louis XV, he received numerous commissions throughout his career, requiring a complex workshop. It is therefore likely that these works were painted by one of his direct and faithful collaborators.

The pair of works is presented in good condition, with beautiful carved and gilded wooden frames, also in excellent condition.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The painting is sold complete with a beautiful antique gilded frame and comes with a certificate of authenticity and an iconographic.