École française du XIXe siècle. Lot n° 3

Portrait of the young Duchess of Galliera, née Marie de Brignole-Sale (1811-1888). Watercolor and graphite, preserved under glass in its original gilded brass frame decorated with an embossed frieze. Slight traces of humidity, but good general condition. Sight: H.: 17 cm - W.: 13 cm. Frame: H.: 21 cm - W.: 17 cm. History: Marie Brignole-Sale, Duchess of Galliera (1811-1888), born in Genoa, arrived at the French court at a very young age because of her father's diplomatic role. She then remained very attached to the Orleans family. Through her marriage, she became Marquise of Ferrari and then Duchess of Galliera by papal enthronement. Having had an enlightened education, her various residences, such as the Hôtel de Varenne in Paris, became the high points of social life and welcomed the greatest political and intellectual personalities of her time. She later founded her own museum, largely composed of paintings and furniture from the 17th and 18th centuries. The Duchess Galliera thus left her mark on her time, as illustrated by this watercolour, which was probably used as a model for the portrait of the Duchess currently housed in the Petit Palais Museum in Paris.