Acquisition of the portrait of the Dauphine Marie-Antoinette

An oil painting of Dauphine Marie-Antoinette by painter Joseph Siffred Duplessis was just added to the Palace of Versailles’ collection.

THE ARTWORK

Thanks to the support of the Société des Amis de Versailles, the Palace of Versailles just acquired an oil painting of Dauphine Marie-Antoinette by the painter Joseph Siffred Duplessis that had never before been in public view. This rare, signed artwork is the first portrait of Marie-Antoinette done in France, showing the fresh, young face of the Dauphine. It lays a crucial foundation for the future queen’s public image.

There is a rich history of portraits of the Dauphine and then Queen Marie-Antoinette, with several painters trying their hand at translating the Archduchess of Austria’s features onto canvas. Joseph Ducreux (1735- 1802) and François Hubert Drouais (1727-1775) number among the first - but Duplessis sketched her face as early as 1771. A preparatory sketch conserved in the Palace of Versailles preserves the image that the painter wanted to hand down to posterity, and that he could use as a reference for other representations of the Dauphine, whether for a bust or an equestrian portrait. Pierre de Nolhac, curator of the Palace of Versailles, acquired this “first idea” of a sketch in 1936, commenting, “this study, this unfinished painting, provides a solid impression of youth with an undeniable truth.” The painting acquired by the Palace today was based on this sketch.

In his commitment to the truth, Duplessis painted the young Marie-Antoinette as her most natural self. But the Dauphine rejected the painting, doubtless because Duplessis had too accurately painted certain aspects of the physiognomy of the future queen, notably her Austrian lip.

This acquisition is part of the Palace’s commitment to enrich its collection of 18th-century portraits.

IN DISCUSSION WITH GWENOLA FIRMIN

Gwenola Firmin, head heritage curator of 18th-century paintings at the Palace of Versailles, on the exceptional story of how the Palace acquired this portrait.

Can you describe this painting in a few sentences?

This work by Joseph Siffred Duplessis (1725-1802) shows the natural and very youthful face of Dauphine Marie-Antoinette (1755-1793) by a painter who was an outsider of court, and who was not preoccupied with flattering his model. The artist, an expert in realistic painting, seized on the core traits of his model’s physiognomy: the prominent eyes, the rounded forehead, the Austrian lip, and the strong Hapsburg chin. The remarkable posture of the head, the freshness of the complexion, and the powdery blondness of her hair soften the image.

On what occasion was it painted?

In 1771, at the suggestion of Jean-Baptiste Marie Pierre (1713-1789) - the First Painter to the King and director of the Royal Academy of Painting - Duplessis (the “Van Dyck of the French School”) was invited to paint an equestrian portrait of Marie-Antoinette. The equestrian aspect was eventually abandoned. A preparatory sketch, held at the Palace of Versailles, preserves the image that the Comtadin wanted to present to future generations, and that he could use as a reference for other paintings of the Dauphine, whether equestrian or bust portraits. The painting from the December auction came from this sketch.

What do we know about the painter?

An artist born in Carpentras, Duplessis’ reputation was already cemented by the time he was asked to paint the portrait of the Dauphine. He had been added to the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture in 1769. His father - a surgeon turned painter - was his first teacher, followed by Joseph Gabriel Imbert (1666-1749), before he joined Pierre Subleyras’ (1699-1749) studio in Rome in 1744. At the request of Jean-Baptiste Marie Pierre (1713-1789), First Painter to the King and director of the Royal Academy of Painting, Duplessis was invited to paint a portrait of Marie-Antoinette in 1771. This “nature painter” - so called by a Salon critic¾was one of the first curators of the special museum of the École Française, from 1796 until his death in 1802. Aside from the subject represented, this portrait has been added to the Palace’s collection for its historical importance.

How does it lay the groundwork for the future queen’s public image?

This is a work never before seen in public. The subject of the painting was identified as Marie-Antoinette as the painting was being sold at auction. This is also an incredibly rare work: it is the first portrait of Marie-Antoinette done in France. Because of this, it lays the groundwork for the future queen’s public image.

Why is this work of art so important for the Palace of Versailles? Can you explain how the Palace acquired it?

The painting enriches the collection of the Palace with a unique portrait of the Dauphine shortly after her 1770 marriage to the Duke of Berry, the future Louis XVI (1754-1793). There are few images of Marie-Antoinette from this period. The similarity between this painting and the sketch (owned by the Palace) makes the match scientifically certain. This acquisition marks the Palace’s continued commitment to enrich its collection of 18th-century portraits.

The artwork was preempted by the French State for the Palace of Versailles. The Société des Amis de Versailles generously supported this purchase.

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