Skip to main content

Video Loading

Want more images or videos?

Request additional images or videos from the seller

1 of 21

Pair of Italian Rococo Pastels on Silk Portraits by Joseph De Saint Michel, 1769

$9,531.14List Priceper set

About the Item

Joseph Comte de Saint Michel (Turin, news between 1756 and 1790; between 1756 and 1776 active at the court of the King of Sardinia in Turin) Portrait of a Gentleman - Portrait of a Lady Pastels on silk; coeval and original frames and glasses Turin or Toulouse 1769 Both signed and dated “de St Michel 1769” Each measure 19.29 x 14.96 in (49 x 38 cm) with frame 28.34 x 19.68 in (72 x 50 cm) lb 15.43 (kg 7) Weight 13.22 lb (6 kg) State of conservation: some additions to the painting. The first portrait depicts a gentleman in a red velvet jacket trimmed with gold embroidery and decorated with the double honor of the order of San Gennaro and that of Santiago; the second, on the other hand, is a young lady in a pink silk brocade dress and fur appliques. The man regards the spectator absently, hinting at a benevolent smile suited to the circumstance, while the lady smiles primly with a relaxed mien. Some physiognomic details suggest that the painter was accustomed to portraiture and the signature affixed to both paintings confirms their authorship: both are signed and dated "de St Michel 1769". The cream and gold frames are original, as are the glasses. The information we have about the painter is scarce and fragmentary: Giuseppe Saint Michel was active from 1756-1790, known as “Knight” or “Count de Saint-Michel”, the painter of the King of Sardinia (Carlo Emanuele III of Savoia). He appears for the first time in Turin in 1756, when a documented payment was made by the royal house for a portrait of Giuseppina di Savoia (the future Countess of Provence) along with her nurse. The works certainly ascribable to his hand and known to this date are portraits that he almost always had the tendency to sign and date: this habit of his, together with the news he himself provided in the promotional announcements he published, gives us a detailed picture of his shifts through all the courts of Europe as an itinerant portrait painter. A study of his works prior to 1764 revealed the influence of the French pastellist Alexis Grimou (Argenteuil, 1678 - Paris, 1733) and a technique still to be perfected. Saint-Michel worked in a very small format, perhaps for the convenience of his itinerant practice, but the results, with homogeneous poses, marked folds of fabric and a typical palette of southern heat, are easily recognizable even without his signature. In the various works there is a considerable variation in the quality of the execution. Some of the smaller examples show the intensity of a technical miniaturist; the male portraits are generally more naturalistic than the female ones, which sometimes exhibit forced poses. The folds and the yield in the fabrics are also characteristic, as Ratouis de Limay (Ratouis de Limay, Le Pastel en France au XVIIIe siècle, Paris, éd. Baudinière, 1946) tells us when analyzing one of his works preserved in the Gunnar Lundberg collection. The oldest portrait known so far is that of Mme de L’Espi and dates back to 1761. In 1769, according to the autograph inscriptions placed on our pastels, the painter was already defined as "le comte de St Michel". We are aware of the fact that two of his landscape watercolors were exhibited at the Salon de Toulouse in 1768. The news is taken from a long note in Avant-Coureur of 29.VIII.1768 (p. 547f) in which the painter is defined as follows: “M. de Saint-Michel, gentilhomme piémontais, residing in Toulouse, known for a large number of portraits "of great resemblance to the truth" and for his pastel technique "such as to give the figures the depth of the oil technique"”. In this period he, in order to allow everyone to benefit from his technique, tried to publish a work in which he explained a method of pastel painting with the title “Abrégé de la Peinture”. The technical tests would have been carried out in the presence of several members of the Parliament of Capitoulate and of the Academy of Painting in Toulouse, called by de Saint-Michel as judges of their own experiments. The text, available only by subscription, would have been published upon reaching an adequate number of bookings. Unfortunately, since no such publication has ever come down to us, it can be deduced that the required number of subscribers was not reached. Two years later, several pastel portraits belonging to the Marquis de Mirepoix confirm the presence of the painter in France, while in 1771 he was certainly in Orleans. From the Annonces, affiches, nouvelles et avis divers de l'Orléanais of 22.XI.1771, we know in fact that “M. de St. Michel, Painter of the King of Sardinia, who alone found the secret of fixing the crayon in such a way as to last forever, he arrived in Orleans, where he intended to do only a short stay and then to go to Paris [...] " In 1772 he resided in Paris, where he was likely to have painted the imposing pastel of the Sardinian ambassador Ferrero della Marmora. He again boasted of having invented, - but perhaps he only used one of the inventions of the Prince of Sansevero - a method for fixing pastels, which he submitted to the Academy for approval on 7.VI.1772. The report by Bachelier and Roslin, regarding this fact, was not published. However, in a note that appeared in the Journal encyclopédique in.IX.1772, pp. 476-78, under the title “Arts utiles agréables” and in other newspapers, the same painter announced the beauty of the pastel technique and the fact that he managed to make it endure through time: "M. de Saint-Michel, Piedmontese gentleman, painter of the King of Sardinia, and of the Bishop Prince and Princess of Carignano, found the secret to making pastel images solid, resistant as the oil technique and able to be retouched by the painter even after being fixed. The images have nothing to fear, nor the jolts of the carriages on longer journeys, nor the friction nor the temperature of the seasons. He also invented the composition of a pastel superior to all that is known in this technique, of a very pleasant delicacy and in all colors; presented both the discoveries and the tests at the “Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture” in Paris, which issued him with a very favorable certificate [...] ". Giuseppe di St. Michel therefore, to contribute to the progress of the arts, tried again to share his discovery with the public, and tried again to publish his secrets by subscription: the validity of the technique was evidenced by the certificate of the Parisian Academy dated 7 August 1772. Several years later, in a note by a contemporary author, Paul-Romain Chaperon in the Traité de la peinture au pastel of 1788, we learn of a negative judgment concerning the Saint-Michel subscription project. From a portrait dated 1773 we deduce that the painter must have been in St. Petersburg: the portrait is that of the Austrian ambassador, Fürst Lobkowicz, whose weekly reports in Kaunitz show that he was in service in the Russian city during that year. Nothing is known about the movements of Saint-Michel in the following years: he must have transited from Metz to Lorraine, where he offered private lessons in the “Affiches, annonces et avis divers pour les Trois Evêchés et la Lorraine for .VI.1777”; then in Caen in the same year, where he made an unusual pastel portrait of the wife of the Count of Perrochel, “capitaine de dragons dans le régiment de Monsieur”. Saint-Michel later arrived in London, where he exhibited six portraits - of which we have no details - at the Royal Academy in 1785. The only surviving crayon which we know of from this journey is "inscribed in florid calligraphy and uncertain English" (Joshua James FOSTER, ed., “French art from Watteau to Prudhon”, London, 1905-07). After this stay in London there were no more signs for five years until, in 1790, Giuseppe de Saint Michel painted a portrait of a two-year-old boy in Liège. We have no more news after this portrait. Bibliography Alessandro, Count BAUDI DI VESME, Schede Vesme: Art in Piedmont from the 16th to the 18th century, Turin, 1963-68, p. 961; Bénézit; Busch 1817, p. 101, which cites the Supplem. zu Vollbedings Archiv. 200 201; Jean CHATELUS, Peindre à Paris au XVIIIe siècle, Nîmes, 1991, p. 73; Ulrich Thieme Felix Becker, Allgemeines Lexikon der bildenden Künstler, 1929; Gérard VOREAUX, Les Peintres lorrains du dix-huitième siècle, Paris, 1998; Waterhouse, The Dictionary of British 18th century painters in oils and crayons, Woodbridge, 1981.

Creator:
Joseph de Saint-Michel (Painter)
Dimensions:
Height: 28.35 in (72 cm)Width: 19.69 in (50 cm)Depth: 2.37 in (6 cm)
Sold As:
Set of 2
Style:
Rococo (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Silk,Wood,Carved,Painted
Place of Origin:
Italy
Period:
1760-1769
Date of Manufacture:
1769
Condition:
Minor losses. Minor fading. Some additions to the painting.
Seller Location:
Milano, IT
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU4352216341362

You May Also Like

Pair of Austrian Pastel Portraits

Located in Charleston, SC

Pair of Austrian pastel portraits of country gentlemen in original carved wood gilt frames. Portraits retain the original glass.

Category

Antique 18th Century and Earlier Austrian Paintings

Pair of Austrian Pastel Portraits

Pair of Austrian Pastel Portraits

$15,000 / set

H 26.75 in W 20.5 in

Pair of Swedish 18th Century Rococo Oil Painting Portraits

Located in Haddonfield, NJ

Set of two noble male and female oil paintings in period delicate ornate Rococo wood frames. This pair of highly detailed portraits were purchased at a Swedish estate in the 1970's. ...

Category

Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Rococo Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Wood

Pair of Swedish 18th Century Rococo Oil Painting Portraits

Pair of Swedish 18th Century Rococo Oil Painting Portraits

$6,800 / set

Free Shipping

H 28.35 in W 28.75 in D 3.15 in

"Portrait of a Woman, Seated" by Joseph Solman

By Joseph Solman

Located in Wiscasset, ME

Oil on canvas, signed with initials center left. Measures 32" x 23.5" including the frame. Provenance: ACA Galleries, NYC Bradbury Art and Antiques, Wiscasset, Maine Brought to Am...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Paint

"Portrait of a Woman, Seated" by Joseph Solman

"Portrait of a Woman, Seated" by Joseph Solman

$9,800

H 32 in W 23.5 in D 2 in

Pair of Japanese Costume Portraits Painted on Silk, 1920 s

Located in London, GB

Two portraits of Japanese man and women in traditional costume painted on silk, circa 1920, in their original frames. Details show the exquisite tradit...

Category

Vintage 1920s Japanese Art Deco Decorative Art

Materials

Wood

Pair of Japanese Costume Portraits Painted on Silk, 1920
s

Pair of Japanese Costume Portraits Painted on Silk, 1920 s

$1,510

H 33.47 in W 11.82 in D 0.79 in

Pair Italian, Tuscany, Rococo Oils Painted on Board, mid 18th century

Located in Atlanta, GA

each panel painted on board with floral, leaves, vines, and scrolls typical of the Rococo period in Italy, panels may have once been mounted directly into walls in a grand salon, fit...

Category

Antique Mid-18th Century Italian Rococo Paintings

Materials

Paint

Pair Italian, Tuscany, Rococo Oils Painted on Board, mid 18th century

Pair Italian, Tuscany, Rococo Oils Painted on Board, mid 18th century

$14,285

H 44 in W 35 in D 2.25 in

Antique Italian pastel painting "Portrait of a Woman" Italy , signed, 1963

Located in Traversetolo, IT

Stunning pastel painting " Portrait of a Woman" signed, executed in Italy in 1963, the author demonstrates good skill in portraying the female figure ,the details of the dress are ex...

Category

Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Crayon

Antique Italian pastel painting "Portrait of a Woman" Italy , signed, 1963

Antique Italian pastel painting "Portrait of a Woman" Italy , signed, 1963

$1,072

H 34.26 in W 26.38 in D 2.37 in

Pair of Early 20th Century Pastel Portraits by Emily Eyres

Located in Worcester, GB

Pair of Early 20th Century Pastel Portraits by Emily Eyres (British, active c.1890–1914) United Kingdom, 1914 Pastel on paper Giltwood frames Framed size (each): 69 x 79 cm (27 x 31...

Category

Early 20th Century Paintings

Materials

Paper

Pair of Early 20th Century Pastel Portraits by Emily Eyres

Pair of Early 20th Century Pastel Portraits by Emily Eyres

$2,251

H 31.11 in W 27.17 in D 3.94 in

Vintage Boho Portrait of a Man Oil Pastel on Canvas

Located in West Palm Beach, FL

A vintage boho portrait of a man rendered in oil pastel on canvas would likely combine elements of both the bohemian aesthetic and classical portraiture with the unique, expressive q...

Category

Late 20th Century North American Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Glass, Wood, Paint, Paper

Vintage Boho Portrait of a Man Oil Pastel on Canvas

Vintage Boho Portrait of a Man Oil Pastel on Canvas

$1,950

H 36.75 in W 26.75 in D 2 in

1934 Female Portrait Pastel on Paper by Henry Clive

By Henry Clive

Located in Van Nuys, CA

Original Pastel Portrait on Paper featuring a harlequin painting a female face in memory of friend Harrison Fisher by Henry Clive. The piece is signed by Clive. Born Henry O'Hara (1882 - 1960) spent on a sheep ranch outside Melbourne. He left, making his way as a magician. Came to Hollywood and acted in silent films. Early 1920's, began painting Ziegfeld Girls...

Category

Vintage 1930s American Paintings

Materials

Paper

1934 Female Portrait Pastel on Paper by Henry Clive

1934 Female Portrait Pastel on Paper by Henry Clive

$12,000

H 20.5 in Dm 15.5 in

Mont Saint Michel by Jean-Marc David

Located in London, GB

A large striking abstract landscape painting depicting Le Mont Saint Michel France by Jean-Marc David dated 1974. Minor restoration. Reframed.

Category

Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Paint, Hardwood, Canvas

Mont Saint Michel by Jean-Marc David

Mont Saint Michel by Jean-Marc David

$2,334

H 35.44 in W 43.31 in D 1.19 in

More From This Seller

Rococo Italian Bureau-Cabinet, Milan, circa 1760

Located in Milano, IT

Bureau-cabinet with fold-down writing desk Lombardy, third quarter of the 18th century Walnut with carved decoration and walnut-burl veneer; applied ebonized wood trim and cornice ...

Category

Antique 1750s Italian Rococo Cabinets

Materials

Walnut

Rococo Italian Bureau-Cabinet, Milan, circa 1760

Rococo Italian Bureau-Cabinet, Milan, circa 1760

$119,139

Rococo Italian Maiolica Flower Pot Pasquale Rubati, Milano, 1770 circa

By Pasquale Rubati

Located in Milano, IT

Maiolica flower pot “a mezzaluna” with support feet decorated with little bunches of flowers Pasquale Rubati Factory Milan, circa 1770 5.5 in X ...

Category

Antique 1770s Italian Rococo Ceramics

Materials

Maiolica

Rococo Italian Maiolica Flower Pot Pasquale Rubati, Milano, 1770 circa

Rococo Italian Maiolica Flower Pot Pasquale Rubati, Milano, 1770 circa

$3,335

Pair of Italian Maiolica Tureens, Ferretti Manufacture, Lodi Circa 1770 - 1780

By Antonio Ferretti

Located in Milano, IT

Pair of maiolica tureens Antonio Ferretti Manufacture Lodi, circa 1770-1780 Maiolica polychrome decorated “a piccolo fuoco” (third fire). a – 8.66 x 11.02 x 7.48 in (22 x 28 x 19...

Category

Antique 1770s Italian Rococo Ceramics

Materials

Maiolica

Pair of Italian Maiolica Tureens, Ferretti Manufacture, Lodi Circa 1770 - 1780

Pair of Italian Maiolica Tureens, Ferretti Manufacture, Lodi Circa 1770 - 1780

$14,296 / set

Ancient Italian Pair of Armchairs in “Petit Point” Embroidery, Turin Circa 1750

Located in Milano, IT

Pair of carved walnut armchairs covered in “petit point” embroidery Turin, circa 1750 They measure 33.8 in (86 cm) in height; 17.32 in (44 cm) in height to the seat; 25.98 in (66 cm...

Category

Antique Mid-18th Century Italian Rococo Armchairs

Materials

Wool, Walnut

Ancient Italian Pair of Armchairs in “Petit Point” Embroidery, Turin Circa 1750

Ancient Italian Pair of Armchairs in “Petit Point” Embroidery, Turin Circa 1750

$16,679 / set

Pair of Ancient Italian Maiolica Flower Pots Milan, Rubati Factory, 1770 circa

By Pasquale Rubati

Located in Milano, IT

Maiolica flower pot “a mezzaluna” decorated with trompe l’oeil Pasquale Rubati Factory Milan, circa 1770 Measures: each 4.7 in (cm 12) x 5 in (c...

Category

Antique 1770s Italian Rococo Ceramics

Materials

Maiolica

Pair of Ancient Italian Maiolica Flower Pots Milan, Rubati Factory, 1770 circa

Pair of Ancient Italian Maiolica Flower Pots Milan, Rubati Factory, 1770 circa

$8,339 / set

Maiolica Bottle Cooler Joseph Hannong, Strasbourg France, circa 1771

By Joseph Hannong

Located in Milano, IT

Bottle cooler Manufacture Joseph Hannong Strasbourg, France, circa 1771 Maiolica polychrome decorated “a piccolo fuoco” (third fire) It measures 7.40 in in height x 9.64 in diam...

Category

Antique 1770s French Rococo Vases

Materials

Maiolica

Maiolica Bottle Cooler Joseph Hannong, Strasbourg France, circa 1771

Maiolica Bottle Cooler Joseph Hannong, Strasbourg France, circa 1771

$2,144

Still Thinking About These?

All Recently Viewed

More Ways To Browse

Red Velvet Jacket

19th Century Italian Grand Tour Gouache Painting

Antique Japanese Wall Panels

Barnyard Painting

Chinese Export Pith Paintings

Chinoiserie Panel Pair

Hunt Country Furniture

Richmond Vintage Furniture

Seminole Indian

Underwater Furniture

Vintage Paintings Of Venice Italy

1958 Signed Paintings

Adolphe Bouguereau

Archangel Raphael

View All Popular Paintings Searches