This charming mid-17th-century bust-length portrait, attributed to an artist working in the circle of Jan Jansz I Westerbaen (c.1600-1686), depicts a lady of the Le Breton De Villandry family, possibly Renée Ulalie Le Breton De Villandry (born Angier De Lohéac) (c.1630-after 1698).
Piously attired in a black dress with a white lace collar, her appearance is one of a devout Dutch protestant. However, this particular young lady is French and probably Catholic - dressed according to local custom in an effort to fit in. Researching this remarkable survivor from 1650 began with the heraldry, which appears in the top left. It represents the Marquis of Villandry, of Château de Villandry, a palatial country house at Indre-et-Loire, France. The first Marquis of Villandry was Balthazar III Le Breton (1590-1671), who was presumably the first to adopt this coat of arms.
Balthazar III Le Breton’s second son was Francois Le Breton of Villandry (1628-1680), Knight and Lord of Villandry, who, according to Dutch literature, worked for a time as a merchant in Den Haag. Francois married Renée Ulalie Angier De Lohéac, who we believe is depicted here. In the top right, an inscription refers to the sitter’s age as 19 and a completion date of 1650 - giving a birth year of circa 1631. Renée’s exact date of birth is unknown but provided in the ancestry records as circa 1630.
It’s conceivable that, following their marriage, the young couple headed for Den Haag where Francois sought to establish himself as a trader of note. As the second son, there was a greater emphasis placed upon sourcing his own wealth. At the time, the Dutch port towns were thriving due to established trade routes and a flourishing empire.
It’s tempting to consider that the couple commissioned a pair of portraits for their home in Den Haag, perhaps to ensure that the right impression was conveyed to those who visited. As a well-connected nobleman, their house would’ve been frequented by numerous gentry along with various European dignitaries.
It’s unclear how long the pair remained in the Netherlands, but Francois is mentioned as a Godfather on French baptismal records in 1658 and 1673. His son, Louis Henry Le Breton de Villandry was born in 1673 at Joué sur Erdre, Loire Atlantique. It’s interesting that another of his sons, Arthur Le Breton de Villandry, also moved to Den Haag where he married Agatha van Doeswerff and created the ‘Le Breton van Doeswerff' family.
The portrait is unsigned but the unusual design of the heraldry, with its rather fancy ribbon cartouche, is very close in style to that featuring on a piece by Jan Jansz I Westerbaen (c.1600-1686), who worked in Den Haag. However, it isn’t replicated on other portraits by Westerbaen, whereby the coat of arms is displayed in a simpler fashion with less ornamentation. Intriguingly, decorative ribbons are also used on portraits by his son, Jan Jansz. II Westerbaen (1631-1669) and also by another Den Haag artist, Adriaen Hanneman (c.1603-1671), who trained his son.
With this in mind, we can draw the conclusion that either all three artists worked alongside an artisan at a local heraldry workshop or alternatively, the heraldry displayed on the piece by Jan Jansz I Westerbaen was completed by an assistant/pupil (possibly his own son). For comparison, here’s a portrait by Jan Jansz II Westerbaen. Hence, a sensible attribution for our portrait is circle of Jan Jansz I Westerbaen.
375 years after its completion, this fascinating piece is once again beginning to tell its story. Behind the demure expression, there’s possibly an exciting tale of burgeoning love, a new life in a prosperous Dutch town, and a young lady eager to fit in - yet still wearing her enchanting French ribbons.
Dated in the top right and held in a later frame.
Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 30½” x 35” / 77cm x 89cm
Year of creation: 1650
Provenance: Private collection, Belgium.
Condition: Cleaned. Revarnished. Canvas relined. Fine craquelure throughout. The paint layer is stable. Area of old varnish retained around the inscription in the top right. Frame in good condition with minor age-related wear.
Our reference: BRV2105
