|
|
|
|
 Henri-François RIESENER
1767 - 1828, French
Portrait of A Young Woman
Holding A Flower
oil on canvas
40 by 34 inches framed
Born in Paris, Riesener was the son of the famous cabinetmaker to kings, Jean Henri Riesener. He was a student of David & fought in the Revolutionary wars. His family was ruined by the wars & afterwards he left the army to resume painting
Riesener began exhibiting his portraits & miniatures at the Salon in 1793, & exhibited at the Salon regularly until 1814.
A portrait of Napoleon that he completed from life while the emperor was having lunch was so successful that he made over fifty copies. However, the return of the Bourbons deprived Riesener of his best clients. In 1816, he left for Russia, where he worked for seven years.
His meeting with the Grand Duke Constantine in Warsaw brought him his patronage & a recommendation to the Dowager Empress & the Emperor Alexander. Riesener painted Alexander’s portrait as well as those of the highest-placed people in Russian society. On his return to France in 1823, he rediscovered his earlier success. He was the uncle of Eugène Delacroix. This portrait is an excellent example of his work during the Empire period.
$14,200 |
|
|