This late 17th-century French oil painting depicts Louise Françoise, Duchess of Bourbon (1673-1743), the eldest legitimised daughter of Louis XIV. It’s reminiscent of works by Pierre Gobert (1662-1744), so perhaps the artist worked in his circle.
The vivacious Louise Françoise led a rather turbulent life and was frequently involved in scandal during her father’s reign. As a child, she was hidden away and raised alongside the King’s other illegitimate children with Madame de Montespan, the King’s ‘maîtresse-en-titre’, on the Rue de Vaugirard in Paris. This sense of being sidelined would’ve contributed to her determination to improve her rank. It also bred a devilishly jealous outlook towards her sister, Françoise Marie de Bourbon, and half-sister, Marie Anne de Bourbon.
Blessed with a talent for dancing, Louise Françoise performed in ballet as a child and was known for her elegant appearance coupled with her sharp wit. Saint-Simon remarked that she “possessed the art of placing everyone at their ease” while also commenting on her “youth in frivolity” which “extended even to debauchery”.
In 1685, she married a distant cousin, Louis de Bourbon, Duke of Bourbon and acquired a dowry of one million livres from her father. This was half the amount given to her younger sister, Françoise Marie, which deeply angered her - creating further friction between the siblings.
Despite raising nine children with her husband, Louise Françoise had several affairs including with François Louis de Bourbon, Prince de Conti, the brother-in-law of Marie Anne de Bourbon. And later with the Marquis de Lassay who built a hotel next to her palace in Paris to bring them closer together. An art gallery connected the two buildings - thus enabling easier access.
Following decades of drama, public scrutiny, and controversial behaviour, Louise Françoise died at the Palais Bourbon at the age of seventy. She was buried at a Carmelite convent in the Paris Latin Quarter. Numerous depictions of her were created throughout her life, of which many were copied for private residences. She was quite a celebrity.
Held within a 17th-century gilt frame, which is probably original.
Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 18” x 21” / 46cm x 53cm
Year of creation: c. 1690
Provenance: Private collection, Cheltenham, UK.
Condition: Assessed and approved by our conservator. Various areas of restoration. Cleaned. Revarnished. Canvas relined. Settled craquelure, as you would expect. The paint layer is stable. Frame restored.
Our reference: BRV1841
