Hortense HAUDEBOURT-LESCOT (Paris, 1784 - 1845) Portrait of Marie-Caroline de Bourbon-Sicile, Duchess of Berry, probably married in 1816 Oil on canvas Signed 'haudebourt lescot' lower right Bears the number '33' in ink on the frame In a frame, probably its original frame, in wood and gilded stucco bearing the label of the house ALLAIN (?) gilder to the Duchess of Berry Portrait of Marie-Caroline de Bourbon-Sicile, Duchess of Berry, probably as a bride in 1816, oil on canvas, signed, by H. Haudebourt-Lescot 39.76 x 32.28 in. 101 x 82 cm This incredible rediscovery of a portrait of the Duchess of Berry by Hortense Haudebourt-Lescot comes at just the right time, as the Château de Sceaux is actively preparing an exhibition devoted to Marie-Caroline de Bourbon-Sicile, Duchess of Berry, entitled "Duchesse rebelle", which will run from 13 September 2026 to 14 February 2027. In 1816, Marie-Caroline de Bourbon-Sicile married the son of the future King Charles X, Charles-Ferdinand d'Artois, Duc de Berry, who died a few years later, assassinated on 13 February 1820 by an opponent of the Bourbons. On the death of her husband, the Duchesse de Berry moved into the Tuileries Palace and attracted much comment from Parisian high society because of her passionate temperament and curious, free spirit. A great patron of the arts, her collection is known from several sales catalogues and a copy of the inventory of her works in Italy. In 1822, Féréol Bonnemaison, painter and curator of the duchess's gallery of paintings, published two volumes entitled Galerie de son altesse royale Madame la duchesse de Berry containing lithographs interpreting the works in her collection. Although the collection contained many works by Renaissance and 17th-century masters, the Duchess of Berry was also interested in contemporary artists, including Hortense Haudebourt-Lescot, who became her official painter. Hortense Haudebourt-Lescot was a pupil of the painter Guillaume Guillon Lethière (1760-1832). The families of the two painters were closely linked, since Lethière was said to be living when he arrived in Paris in 1779 "with Mr Viel, stockbroker, rue des Deux-Portes-Saint-Sauveur", who was Hortense Haudebourt-Lescot's father 1. Hortense was also the goddaughter of Pierre Antoine de Préaux, a Guadeloupean friend of Lethière's father. She began her apprenticeship at the age of seven. On her father's death, she took the surname of her stepfather Jean-Louis Lescot. In 1807, Lethière invited her to Rome when she gave birth to a son of unknown father. This stay in ultramontane Rome, from 1807 to 1816, played a decisive role in the development of her career, particularly in her choice of subjects and her taste for picturesque scenes of Neapolitan life. In 1820, she married the architect Pierre Louis Haudebourt and took his name. She exhibited numerous paintings at the Salon between 1811 and 1840, which attracted a great deal of critical attention. In 1837, Louis-Philippe commissioned her to paint François de Lorraine, Duc de Guise, Receiving the Surrender of the Spanish Troops after the Capture of Thionville, 23 June 1558 and Pope Eugène III Receiving the Ambassadors of the King of Jerusalem in 1145 for the Musée Historique de Versailles. Although Hortense Haudebourt-Lescot was the official portraitist of the Duchess of Berry from 1816 onwards, we know of no portrait of her by our painter, which makes our painting an exceptional work. Our painting, signed with her married name 'haudebourt lescot', was probably also painted by Haudebourt-Lescot in 1820, after the death of the Duc de Berry. It is perhaps a moving reminder of the marriage of Marie-Caroline de Bourbon-Sicile when the nuptials were concluded by proxy in Naples on 14 April 1816. The background of our painting recalls the city of Naples. We know that Haudebourt-Lescot depicted everyday Neapolitan life on several occasions. She may therefore have painted this picture at the request of the Duchess of Berry, who wished to commemorate her union with her recently murdered husband, and while she was carrying her male heir, the future Duke of Bordeaux and Count of Chambord, at the time of his death. We would like to thank Carole Blumenfeld for her help in writing this notice. This work is the subject of a loan request as part of the "Rebellious Duchess" exhibition, which will be held at the Château de Sceaux from 13 September 2026 to 14 February 2027. 1 - On Hortense Haudebourt-Lescot's links with her master, we refer you to the recent exhibition catalogue: Guillon Lethière, Né à la Guadeloupe, cat.exp. Paris, Musée du Louvre, 2024-2025, p. 76-77. Hortense HAUDEBOURT-LESCOT (Paris, 1784 - 1845) 101 x 82 cm