Jean-Baptiste THEVENET (La Rochelle 1800 - ? 1867) - Lot 56

Lot n° 56
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Estimation :
1000 - 1500 EUR
Jean-Baptiste THEVENET (La Rochelle 1800 - ? 1867) - Lot 56
Jean-Baptiste THEVENET (La Rochelle 1800 - ? 1867) Presumed portrait of Prosper Mérimée (1803-1870) in front of a portrait of his mistress, Valentine Delessert, 1860 Miniature on ivory, signed and dated upper left: Thevenet / 1860 11.2 x 8.9 cm The writer, historian and architect Prosper Mérimée is easily recognizable here. The compass in the model's hand and the plan in the foreground recall his position as Inspector General of Historic Monuments. His extensive literary work (essays, poems, short stories, plays) is highlighted by two volumes on the table. A flute emphasizes the musical and poetic universe in which Mérimée took such an interest (Carmen, Le Joueur de flûte de Hamelin, etc. come to mind). Finally, the canvas in the background shows the portrait of Madame Valentine Delessert, with whom Mérimée was madly in love.
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