Henri Nicolas van GORP (Paris, 1756 - after 1819 ) Portrait of Charles Constantin Gravier, comte de Vergennes (1761-1832) and Portrait of his wife, Louise de Lentilhac de Sédières (died 1788) and their daughters Anne-Caroline-Constance and Anne-Marie-Philippine-Claudine Pair of oil paintings (Original canvases) Inscribed with the identity of the model in ink on the reverse of the canvas Bears an old attribution to Alexandre Roslin on the reverse and the frames each bear the annotation Boilly in pencil In their original carved wood and gilt frames Portrait of Charles Constantin Gravier, count of Vergennes and Portrait of his wife, Louise de Lentilhac de Sédières with their daughters, pair of canvas, by H. N. van Gorp 39.37 x 31.89 in. 100 x 81 cm Provenance: Anonymous sale; Bourges, Hôtel des ventes Jacques Cœur, Me Darmancier et Clair, 5 April 2014, no. 12 ; Acquired at this sale by the current owners Bibliography: Geneviève Tassin de Montaigu, Les Gravier de Vergennes, Mayenne, 1995, repro (as Alexandre Roslin) The paintings depict Charles Constantin Gravier, comte de Vergennes, son of the famous French foreign minister and ambassador, in the uniform of the Dauphins dragons regiment which he took command of in 1786, and his first wife, Louise de Lentilhac de Sédières, a Creole from Saint-Domingue, accompanied by their two daughters, Anne Caroline Constance (1782-1795) and Anne Marie Philippine Claudine (1784-1796). Louise died in 1788, which means that the paintings can be dated between 1786 (the count's uniform) and 1788. Charles Constantin Gravier was a career soldier who remained loyal to the monarchy. He served in the army of the princes during the emigration and returned to service in 1814. He was awarded the Legion of Honour by Louis XVIII in 1815. From 1773 onwards, Henri-Nicolas van Gorp studied at the Royal Academy for ten years under Etienne Jeaurat and then Antoine-François Callet. He exhibited regularly at the Salon, where he painted the touching genre scenes and portraits for which he became famous. Van Gorp set his figures in a park in front of sculptures that reflected their condition: Falconet's Threatening Love, a reference to Louise de Lentilhac de Sédières' qualities as a wife and mother. The marble commissioned by Madame de Pompadour for the garden of the Hôtel d'Evreux (Élysée Palace) was widely distributed by the biscuit factory in Sèvres. Minerva crowning warrior virtue celebrates the Count's military qualities. Still on their original canvases, the paintings are beautifully smooth and porcelain-like, characteristic of the artist's meticulous technique, which was much appreciated by his contemporaries. Previously attributed to Alexandre Roslin, these portraits are inscribed 'L L Boilly' in pencil on the frame. Although this attribution is not accepted, the portraits bear similarities to the artist's early works, notably the portrait of La famille Gohin (canvas, 94 x 135cm, held at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris). Henri Nicolas van GORP (Paris, 1756 - after 1819 ) 100 x 81 cm