Giuseppe Maria GRIFFON (active in Rome and Naples between 1770 and 1819) Portrait of Louis Honoré Lejeans (1734 - 1802) Canvas Height : 103 cm Width : 76 cm Signed, located and dated lower right 'G. M. Griffon Romano pinx napoli anno 1778'. Inscribed on the reverse of the stretcher 'Lous Honond le Jeans mort en 1794'. Uprisings Recently brought to light by recent publications [1], the Roman-born painter Giovanni Maria Griffon studied at the Accademia di San Luca, then worked mainly in Naples and Campania, as well as in Molise, while occasionally returning to his native city. His signature, always written in the same style, has been found on his various works: "G. M. Griffon / Romano pinx Napoli anno ? He painted religious pictures, notably for the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli in San Nicola la Strada, near Caserta, and for the church of Santa Cristina in Sepino, as well as portraits, including that of Francesco Maria Pagano in his interior, from 1779 (sale Paris, Hôtel Drouot, Brissoneau, 25 November 2004, no. 55). Stylistically, he was close to Giuseppe Bonito and Francesco Liani. The sitter, Louis Honoré Lejeans, was a leading merchant from Marseilles, whose activities, our painting shows, extended as far as Naples. His biography is more extensive a decade or so after this portrait: he was elected deputy of the Third Estate to the Estates General of 1789 for the seneschal of Marseilles [2], and took part in the National Assembly's report on the repayment of the public debt in 1790. In 1775 he married Marie-Jeanne Clary, daughter of François Clary and sister of Julie and Désirée Clary. [1] - Luisa Mortari, Giovanni Maria Griffoni, Antologia di Belle Arti, n. 5, 1978, pp.69 - 71, a p.69 - Fabrizio Lemme, La riscoperta di un ritratto, in Griffoni. Ritratto di Francesco Maria Pagano, Firenze, Galleria Pasti Bencini, 2005, pp. 47-54 - Pasquale Fronzino, Il corpus delle opere del pittore Giovanni Maria Griffon nella chiesa di Santa Maria degli Angeli a San Nicola la Strada, Rivista di Terra di Lavoro, 2021 (accessed online). [2] Dictionnaire des parlementaires français (1889-1891) ... depuis le 1er mai 1789 jusqu'au 1er mai 1889..., sous la dir. d'Adolphe Robert, Edgar Bourloton et Gaston Cougny, volume IV, p.78. Expert: Cabinet Turquin, Stéphane Pinta