Attributed to Sauveur LE COMTE (1659 - 1694) Equestrian portrait of King Louis XIV before the siege of Mons Oil on canvas (Restorations) Equestrian portrait of king Louis XIV in front of the siege of Mons, oil on canvas, attr. to S. Le Comte 25.39 x 21.45 in. 64.5 x 54.5 cm Provenance: Anonymous sale; Florence, Pandolfini, 3 March 2020, no. 158 (as 18th-century French school) The siege of Mons, then in the Spanish Netherlands, was a landmark French victory in 1691 during the War of the League of Augsburg. Carefully planned, the attack caught the imperial troops off guard and left them no time to come to the aid of the besieged. Vauban led the siege under the watchful eye of Louis XIV and, quickly identifying the flaws in the fortifications, launched a terrible bombardment that destroyed a large part of the city before breaching the defences that were decisive for the French troops. On 10 April, Louis XIV returned to Versailles following the Spanish retreat and had the subject painted. Our painting is a perfect example of how such victories were used to glorify the reign of Louis XIV. Sauveur Le Comte, son of Meiffren Comte, was a pupil of Adam François var der Meulen, as was Martin des Batailles. He was thus part of a dynamic school of military painting that recounted and celebrated the royal gesture and French victories in the last decades of the Grand Siècle. The auction price is exclusive of VAT. VAT at the reduced rate of 5.5% applies to the hammer price and the sales commission. This VAT is recoverable for French professionals. It is refundable for a buyer from outside the EU on presentation of proof of export from the EU or for a professional buyer with an intra-Community VAT number and a document proving delivery in the Member State. The hammer price will be VAT excluded. 5.5% VAT will be added to the hammer price and buyer's premium. Upon request, this VAT can be refunded to the purchaser on presentation of written proof of exportation outside the EU or to the EU purchaser who will submit his intracommunity VAT number and a proof of shipment of his purchase to his EU country home address. Attributed to Sauveur LE COMTE (1659 - 1694) 64.5 x 54.5 cm