The auction on December 20 will offer two exceptional enamel portraits for sale, one monogrammed and the other attributed to Leonard Limosin, representing two prominent women from the French Renaissance. Leonard Limosin was a renowned French painter and enamelist born around 1505 in Limoges and passing away between 1575 and 1577.

The son of an innkeeper from Limoges, he was recognized for his perfect mastery of his art and achieved the prestigious title of painter to King Francis I at the age of 25.

In his capacity as "enamelist and ordinary painter of the king's chamber," he was notably sought after for producing enamel portraits of the most eminent members of the Court and, more broadly, the Kingdom of France. Between 1532 and 1574, his production is estimated at 1,840 enamels.

To produce these sumptuous portraits, it is now established that Limosin had access to the drawings of Jean or François Clouet, as explained by Stéphanie Deprouw-Augustin in her reference publication, "Léonard Limosin: The Apex of Painted Enamel." It even appears that Limosin created copies of Clouet's drawings that could be used as tracings on the enamel plate using the stencil method. The models for our two plates have both been found, thus confirming their identity.

Painted enamel employs the same pigments as ceramics and requires layer-by-layer work, resulting in as many firings as there are colors on the copper plate and, therefore, as many possibilities of burning and altering the work. Each completed plate is a clear technical tour de force, a testament to the genius of a brilliant colorist capable of achieving numerous nuances and marbled effects through risky pigment mixtures.

To simulate the brilliance of gemstones, Leonard Limosin uses small gold or silver foil pieces embedded in translucent enamel. He recreates the warmth of the complexion by applying a sanguine wash made from hematite in small, more or less dense points.

LÉONARD LIMOSIN (CA. 1505 - CA. 1576)
Polychrome painted enamel plaque on a rectangular embossed copper plate with gold highlights. It depicts the bust portrait of Denise de Neufville (ca. 1548 - ca. 1580) against a cobalt blue background within a black frame.
Limoges, Leonard Limosin, 16th century, circa 1560.

On the right
We have located the drawing that served as a model for Limosin in the execution of this plaque. It was formerly attributed to François Clouet and is currently preserved at the National Library of France, Department of Prints and Photography [RESERVE BOITE FOL-NA-22 (10)].


ATTRIBUTED TO LÉONARD LIMOSIN (CA. 1505 - CA. 1576)
Large polychrome painted enamel plaque on an embossed rectangular copper plate with gold highlights.
It depicts a presumed bust portrait of Mary Stuart (1542 - 1587) against a solid cobalt blue background.
Limoges, 16th century, circa 1556.

On the right
We have found the drawing that served as a model for Limosin in the execution of our large plaque. It is attributed to Jean Clouet and is currently housed at the Condé Museum in Chantilly [MN 342; B 297]. This drawing bears a later handwritten note indicating "Mademoiselle de Guise," but it is more commonly regarded as a portrait of Mary Stuart in her capacity as a young queen of Scotland while in exile in France.

Public Exhibition
Monday, December 18 and Tuesday, December 19: 10 AM - 1 PM and 2 PM - 6 PM
Wednesday, December 20: 10 AM - 12 PM

Consign now
Arts Classiques
Thursday, April 18, 2024

For more information or to include an item in our auctions, please contact:
Grégoire de Thoury
Head of department
+33 1 41 92 06 46
thoury@aguttes.com