FR
EN

Louis XIV's diamonds for a malouin privateer

Sunday, October 4th 2020

Preserved in the family of a Malouin privateer

PORTRAIT BOX of LOUIS XIV decorated with the DIAMONDS OF THE CROWN for a MALLOIN PRIVATEER, 1695

gold and silver decorated with a profile of the sun king in the ancient style, in enamel molded like a cameo, and on the back of its enamelled figure. The setting is decorated with twenty rose-cut diamonds, probably from the Golconde mines. Gold bélière.

Royal commission around 1695, awarded to Jean-Frédéric Bruckmann after a medal by Jean Mauger for the enamel, and probably to the workshop of Pierre or Laurent Le Tessier de Montarsy for the frame.

Height 43, Width 39 mm.
Total height 48 mm.

Provenance: offered by King Louis XIV in November 1696 to the Malouin privateer Alain Porée (1665-1730), following his capture of the English warship Le Darmouth; by descent, Saint-Malo.

Certificate of freedom of movement.

Extremely rare medallion of Louis XIV adorned with the diamonds of the crown. Offered by the Sun king to a privateer Malouin in 1696; by family descent.

The diamonds of Louis XIV for a privateer Malouin
by Brice Langlois

Introduction

At least three fourteenth Louis XIV "portrait boxes" adorned with their diamonds have survived the vicissitudes of history, including this medallion. An extremely rare testimony, it illustrates the instrumentalization of the arts in the image of the king: disproportionate. While his predecessors already used their profile to promote their sovereignty, the Sun King flooded France and foreign kingdoms with his portrait. Numerous walkers from the four corners of Europe noticed "the infinity of busts of the great monarch placed in every corner by common people". The image of the king became "a popular and European visual myth", which he never ceased to exploit in order to ensure and establish his power on the national and international political scene. Paintings, tapestries, furniture and jewelry serve his communication, as does our exceptional portrait box. This royal medallion surrounded by twenty diamonds is an official gift par excellence (I), involving two of the best workshops of the time, that of Jean-Frédéric Bruckmann and probably that of Pierre or Laurent Tessier de Montarsy (II). Offered as a gift by the King, it rewards the maritime successes of one of the most faithful and brilliant privateers of the kingdom: Alain Porée (III).  

I/ The Crown Diamonds: fantastic ambassadors

The 400 portrait boxes offered by Louis XIV.

The term "King's portrait box" still plunges the specialists into the expectation as to the precise origin of this denomination. Until 1929, historians only know them by handwritten mentions exhumed from the archives. According to the information they collect, they then describe them as "flat, round, oval or rectangular and containing a portrait inside". However, it is important to note that these boxes do not open. Today, researchers propose that the term "King's portrait box" actually refers to the luxurious leather boxes in which these jewels were offered. The decorative overabundance of these boxes is revealed in the Portrait of Conrad Detlef (1690-1753) (Figs. 1 and 2): an ovoid box lined with embossed red leather reveals a miniature portrait in a diamond-set setting and topped with a crown.

The king, like the Greats of the kingdom, was particularly fond of these portrait jewels. As early as 1650, Mazarin bought himself a box in the image of the king. If this purchase reflected the cardinal's loyalty to the sovereign, Louis XIV found in ordering these boxes a way to show off his power. During his long reign, he ordered more than 400 portrait boxes. In 1684 alone, the number of boxes ordered reached 338. These figures can be articulated thanks to the study of the "Recueil des présents faits par le Roy en pierreries, meubles, argenterie et autres, depuis l'année 1662 jusqu'à l'année 1721", documents today preserved in the Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Most of the medallions are offered for diplomatic purposes, such as those offered in 1680 in Munich at the marriage of the Grand Dauphin with Princess Marie-Anne-Christine of Bavaria, and specially made for the sum of 16,101 pounds.

Where do the Crown Diamonds come from?

These portrait jewels are also used to reward the faithful servants of the kingdom. Such is the case of this present given on November 30, 1696 "to Sieur Porée, privateer captain of Saint Malo, an enamel portrait enriched with diamonds of 254 pounds". The mention and the presence of diamonds are not insignificant when one knows how much Louis XIV was attached to these precious stones, whose taste he received from his godfather Mazarin. In 1661, when Mazarin succeeded him, he inherited eighteen diamonds, including the famous "Sancy". Then, he sent French adventurers on a mission to India. In 1669, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier brought him the "Blue Diamond of the Crown", probably extracted from the Golconde mines for the sum of 200,000 pounds, or the equivalent of 147 kilos of pure gold. The expenses of Louis XIV in stones for the marriage of the dolphin in 1680 amounted to 462,000 pounds. They fall only to 200.000 pounds in 1686, in spite of a will of reduction of the costs. In 1669, the books of the gemstones count 1.302 rough diamonds and 609 cut diamonds. These 2.000 gems are used to radiate the absolute power of Louis XIV, most of them being mounted on jewels offered by the king. Only the most important "portrait boxes" are adorned with them, especially those produced between 1660 and 1680. During this period, the majority of the pieces displayed an incredible luxury due to the large number of diamonds. Beyond the 1680s, ornamental excess was no longer the norm. Portraits of the king enclosed in a diamond frame became rare.

Alain Porée's portrait box is thus presented as a work between tradition and modernity. Produced around 1695, it extends the traditional doctrine with the presence of diamonds. But it is also in line with the taste and expectations of the time by simplifying the portrait in molded enamel rather than painted. Gold is used for the strapping of the medallion and silver for the setting of the diamonds.

The number and size of these stones reveal the rank of the recipient and the importance of the mission that earned him the king's honors. As such, the king personally watches with attention the stones that are used to reward his followers. He may even have stones originally mounted on jewels intended to be offered replaced or resized. Our box, which cost at least 254 pounds at the time, may seem inexpensive compared to that of the Constable of Castile (41,376 pounds) or the many boxes offered to the Duke of Malborough. This is not the case in absolute terms. To this day, this portrait box remains a jewel of great luxury whose value also resides in the quality and integrity of its original set diamonds.

At least three examples are not reused in the gems.

Today, of the total number of portrait boxes donated by Louis XIV, at least three still retain their original diamonds: those from the Louvre, the Museum of Bologna, and ours. The richness of these frames contributes inexorably to their destruction. If for the faithful servant it is convenient to assert that these boxes are "even less precious because of [their] wealth than because they contain the portrait of the greatest and most accomplished monarch of the earth," the venality of the recipients contributes to the dismantling of the diamonds. The portrait box of Louis XIV kept in The Hague is a perfect example of this (fig. 3). All that remains of this box is the silver setting that surrounds the medallion provided by Jean I Petitot. And for good reason, the stones are often mounted on small goldsmith's works, such as snuff boxes. It is therefore understandable why the recipients are so interested in being offered portrait boxes made of multiple diamonds. In 1701, for the gift to the Swedish architect Nicodemus Ticino, the diplomat Cronström congratulated himself on "having done well to prefer the portrait to the ring, [because] a single stone, however beautiful, hardly passes between 4 and 5,000 pounds, and thirty or forty must be very bad if they are not better ...".

II/ The best craftsmen at the service of the official order

The enameller Bruckmann, says the Swede.

Louis XIV personally sees to the realization of these gifts. Thus the best French craftsmen are solicited in the manufacture of the portrait boxes. For miniatures on enamel, the Petitot workshop is traditionally in a good place. But a new technique, less expensive and faster appears under the dynamic of a Swedish artist: Jean-Frédéric Bruckmann. Named in the archives as the "Swede", knowledge about this artist is relatively poor. Neither his year of birth nor his training are known today. Only his establishment in Geneva in September 1685 is certain, as is his definitive fixation in Paris around 1694, where he was an immediate success by developing the technique of relief enamel. Made from a mold obtained from the features of a medal, these cameo enamels are easily reproducible and at a lower cost. The final result is a portrait of the monarch in white paste with a slight relief applied on a black enamel background.

This technique is reminiscent of the one developed by Bernard Perrot in Orleans. If the process of the cast glass is first elaborated for the manufacture of ice, it is then used to make decorative portraits in the manner of antique cameos. The craftsman pours a "thick layer of glass on a model in relief, probably in plaster", before he fills "after cooling the cavity left by the mold with a thick gilding imitating bronze". Perrot enthused commentators of the time with his method, which "allows the size and thickness of the model to be poured in such a way as to make [...] busts, medals, stories, figures, coats of arms, mottos, inscriptions, epitaphs, and all sorts of ornaments and architectural works". Perrot's cast glass portraits of Louis XIV (fig. 4) obviously influenced Bruckmann, although the latter miniaturized the process to the scale of the jewels. The eight works by Perrot that have been catalogued today are indeed much larger in size.

The medallion in our box was made between 1695 and 1696. It was part of a commission for "twelve enamelled bas-reliefs" for which Bruckmann received the sum of 720 pounds. Each medallion has a unit value of 60 pounds. A receipt dated November 20, 1696 states that the twelve medallions were received by Louis Phélypeaux de Pontchartrain, Secretary of State for the Navy and the House of the King, who himself delivered one of these pieces to Alain Porée 10 days later, on November 30, 1696, on behalf of the King. Bruckmann delivered to the king no less than 62 portraits in molded enamel, even though today only three are listed: one from the Patek Philippe Museum (Figs. 5 and 6), a second in a private collection (Fig. 7), and finally our model, which is the only one to be decorated with a diamond entourage. In addition to portraits of the monarch, Bruckmann also offers portraits of the royal family, including that of the Duke of Anjou . It is a lasting collaboration between Bruckmann and the court. The name of the artist appears in the Books of Gifts until February 1716, for the delivery of "three portraits in miniature".

The portrait of the king between 54 and 59 years old.

The model used to make our medallion is not referenced by specialists, who only specify that the portrait of the king by Bruckmann "is molded after a medal of the reign". It is obvious that the artist used a contemporary coin or medal from the production of his own medallion in order to diffuse the image of the king in faithful features. His comparison with the Portraits of Louis XIV at Different Ages by Antoine Benoist attests to this (fig. 8). Our model is close to the portraits of the king at the ages of 54 and 59 (fig. 9), and more precisely the features of the sovereign are very close to one of the medals struck by Jean Mauger in 1695 (fig. 10). The hump of the nose, the round cheeks, and the curly hair are roughly comparable. Only the wig is different. A similar hairstyle can be found on the Medal of the Capture of Namur (Fig. 11). On our medallion, the upper part of the hairstyle is largely raised, as in the Liard de France "with an aged bust" struck in 1695 according to a model by Joseph Roëttiers.

A dynasty of goldsmiths, the Le Tessier de Montarsy.

Obviously, the frame is the production of another workshop than Bruckmann's, which could be the one of the famous Pierre and Laurent Le Tessier de Montarsy. The collaboration between Bruckmann and these goldsmiths was regular from 1694. A letter from Louis Phélypeaux addressed to the goldsmith Pierre Le Tessier de Montarsy on October 10 of the same year specifies this. The statesman insisted on the need "to send him as soon as [the goldsmith] can, a portrait box of 800 or 1,000 écus. It is necessary that the portrait of the King be enamelled in relief, in the manner of the Swede, in case [he has] some on loan. "Also in 1710, fifteen medallions of the Swede were found when the seals were lifted at the home of Pierre Le Tessier de Montarsy, who had died. Five others were found in his goldsmith's cassette. Their presence confirms the constant cooperation of the two workshops. Although treated in a more sober decorative register, the frame of our medallion presents a relative similarity with the frame of the portrait box of the Louvre Museum (figs. 12 and 13), attributed to the Tessier de Montarsy dynasty. Acquired by the Louvre in 2009 (481,000 euros) from the estate of Yves Saint Laurent, this piece is exceptionally rich, given its ninety-two diamonds radiating around the king's bust and organized to form a royal crown. The Louvre Museum emphasizes the high probability that one of the goldsmiths of the Le Tessier de Montarsy family worked to create the setting for our medallion.

The frame of our medallion is distinguished by its sobriety. It is important to remember that during the 1690s ornamental exuberance was no longer the rule, unlike the three other richly decorated portrait boxes of Louis XIV produced around 1680 (figs. 3, 12, and 14). The Count of Malvasia received his in 1681 for dedicating his work on the painters of Bologna to Louis XIV (fig. 14). Anthonie Hensius took possession of his box in 1683 after he came to Maria Theresa's funeral (Fig. 3). The reverse side of the box bears a strong resemblance to ours. The back of our box reveals the royal cypher in the manner of scrolls. Treated in white and enhanced with black and pink, it contrasts strongly with the light blue background. The rendering differs from the composition of the model in the Patek Philippe Museum (Fig. 6). While the reverse of this one has in its center, in an oval, the floral figure of the king in painted white enamel enhanced with black and pink on a translucent blue enamel background, it gives more space to the gold support by revealing engraved concentric striations. Also, the goldsmith introduces green enamel for the frieze of scrolls, while this color is totally absent from the back of our medallion.

III/ A royal present for a seasoned privateer

Porée: a highly prized privateer

The Louis XIV portrait box offered to Alain Porée is intimately linked to the latter's brilliant career, as contemporary literature testifies. Some authors do not hesitate to reproduce an engraved image of this box (fig. 15) to materialize its illustrious recipient.

During his engagement as a privateer, Alain Porée benefited from the benevolence and generosity of French sovereigns as a reward for his numerous naval catches. Already in 1693, Louis XIV offered him a sword to the Grandes Armes de France (Figs. 16, 17, and 18), as a token of the sovereign's deep gratitude. This sword is composed on the guard of the double portrait of the king and the privateer (Figs. 17 and 18). Louis XIV wears a laurel wreath, while Alain Porée wears a helmet. This rich sword of honor is one of four that French sovereigns gave to privateers such as René Duguay-Trouin and Pierre Anguier. But only Alain Porée is rewarded with a second sword (fig. 19), which is offered to him in 1730 by King Louis XV, known as the Beloved.

The war against the League of Augsburg

Louis XIV was kind to Alain Porée for the naval catches he made during the first part of his privateer career. His mission was clearly different from that of the pirates. He carried out his activity thanks to a letter of marque issued by the royal authority, which authorized him to attack all foreign ships in wartime.
Coming from the high bourgeoisie of Malouin, Alain Porée entered this path at a very young age, starting sailing at the age of 15. He received his first command in 1689 on the François-de-la-Paix, before taking the helm of the Saint-Esprit in 1693. On board, Alain Porée made five catches that year, including those of Dutch ships that enabled him to bring back 500 marcs of gold powder, which represented about 200,000 pounds. The booty was divided between the shipowner, the crew and the Royal Treasury as provided for in the rules of war racing. These catches are providential for the finances of the kingdom, at the time when France is plunged between 1688 and 1697 in full war against the League of Augsburg, led simultaneously by William III king of England, Leopold I emperor of the Holy German Empire, Charles II king of Spain and Victor-Amédée II duke of Savoy. Louis XIV had to face the constantly exponential expenses to finance his battles.

The capture of Dartmoor and the defense of Saint Malo.

The year 1695 marked a real turning point in Alain Porée's career. On board his ship and with the support of his brother, the leader of the François d'Assise, he dealt a terrible blow to the English fleet on February 14, 1695 by boarding the Dartmoor. Although fewer guns and armed men were available, five hours of fighting and two landings were necessary to win the battle. Returning to the Bay of Saint-Malo four days later, Alain Porée was soon back at sea and in July 1695 he took part in the defense of the city attacked by the English ships. Despite numerous human and material losses, Saint-Malo repulses the Berkeley squadron. On October 12, 1695, Porée embarked on a new cruise aboard the front-line vessel le Saint-Esprit. Accompanied by La Bellière, who commanded the Polastron, he took part off Ushant on December 14 of the same year in the removal of three ships from the fleet of the Dutch East India Company. Unfortunately the Holy Spirit was unable to keep his catch because of a strong storm. Only the ship of La Bellière reached Saint-Malo with two of the Dutch boats. However, Alain Porée does not return without loot. In his misfortune, he succeeded in capturing an English ship. On February 21, 1696, Porée set sail again. During the whole year, he seized foreign ships including the Neptune of Amsterdam and the Saint-Michel-Ange of Rotterdam off Ushant. He also manages to take back French vessels that were hitherto held hostage by foreign fleets.

Its success off Ushant is part of Louis XIV's gratitude. On December 5, 1696 , Louis Phélipeaux de Pontchartrain, Secretary of State for the Navy, wrote to Monsieur de Mauclere, Chief Commissioner of the Navy in Port Saint-Louis, that he had him send "a portrait of his majesty for Sieur Porée (Alain), commander of the ship the Saint-Esprit, from Saint-Malo; you can tell him that his majesty will give him more sensitive marks in the future for his services. And it must be said that Alain Porée's services and achievements are numerous. It is indeed 27 takes "including several very rich ones" that he achieved between 1693 and 1697 at the command of the Holy Spirit. If these naval captures are a financial support of good omen for the coffers of the kingdom, they must also be seen as a moral commitment to safeguard the honor and the glory of the Sun King. The captains of the ships, like Jean Vivien, René Duguay-Trouin, Jacques Le Fer, Charles Porée but also and especially his younger brother Alain Porée, probably exceed the mercantile concerns of the shipowners. All of them, with varying degrees of success, tried to take vessels from enemy fleets in addition to their commercial missions for which they were solicited. It should be pointed out that the royal authorities seemed to reward the most valiant privateers, more for the symbolic value of their catches than for the economic profitability of their expeditions. The commissioner Duguay sums up the situation perfectly, considering that naval officers do not have the same character as the "sons of the merchant family," for whom honor is often more important than interest. The qualities of "brave soldier and very good sailor" benefit Alain Porée. They also encouraged his shipowner, La Lande Magon, to place his trust in him, because Porée combined more than others "nautical experience, military capacity... and economic realism.

A brave man of battles and a fearless explorer in the South Seas

Alain Porée took to the sea aboard the Holy Spirit during the War of the Spanish Succession. Louis XIV's last great war was indeed a European battle of the first rank, opposing the Habsburgs, the Bourbons and their allies by virtue of the important political stakes involved. Charles II of Spain having no descendant at his death in 1700, Louis XIV accepts his will by placing the Duke of Anjou, future Philip V, at the head of Spain. He also recognized to his grandson, on February 1, 1701 by letters patent, the right to succeed to the crown of France. By these facts, Louis XIV broke the Treaty of London, concluded between France, England and the United Provinces, which provided for the division of Spanish territory. But above all, the foreign powers were put at risk by the dynastic alliance of France and Spain. England, the United Provinces, Austria and then the Holy German Empire declared war in 1702 on Louis XIV and Philip V. To fight against the coalition fleets, France used its privateers.

Race warfare was widely encouraged and shipowners provided means that the Royal Navy could not advance because of a crying financial disorder. Expeditions were organized, combining private frigates and royal ships. Thus, Jérôme de Pontchartrain invites Duguay-Trouin to hunt Dutch whalers in the Orkney polar seas. La Bellone, la Railleuse and le Saint-Esprit set sail on July 7, 1702. Duguay-Trouin and Porée quickly take the Saint-Jacques from the Dutch on August 22nd. On this occasion, Alain Porée displays unparalleled heroism and self-sacrifice. Wounded in the left arm and abdomen, agonizing, he took the initiative in caring for his wounds and amputating his arm. During the operation, he kept a surgical book "that contained the details ... and reads coldly to the health officer how he should proceed as he worked. The operation was a complete success and the ship returned to the port of Saint-Malo on December 1, 1702.

After a rest at quay, Porée set sail again on August 25, 1703 towards the South Seas. Accompanied by the Baron de Breteuil led by Captain Bécard des Aulnais, and the Saint-Joseph led by Trublet de Nermont, he is destined to set up the interlope trade in Peru. On this occasion, the crews crossed Cape Horn from East to West for the first time. The Peruvian authorities welcome the presence of the French who fought against the English ships. The viceroy of Lima gives Trublet the authorization to trade, in spite of the apprehensions of the Hispanic merchants. If the customs duties paid by Trublet in Callao are important, due to the physical presence of the Viceroy of Lima, Porée and Bécard benefit from better transactions in the ports of Arica, Ilo and Pisco. As the controls are less severe, they pay the duties by offering ordinary presents . The squadron is reformed on September 22, 1704 in Callao to take again the road towards France. On their return to Saint-Malo, the ships were seized and confiscated for the benefit of the king. Their captains did not respect the prohibition to weigh anchor during their stopover in Morbihan. The sentence is lifted thanks to pressure from shipowners who make a considerable profit, estimated between three and seven, even twelve million pounds .

Alain Porée took the helm again on February 13, 1708, aboard the Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption to travel a second time to the South of the Americas. After a passage on the coast of Brazil where he fought against Portuguese troops, Porée discovered the Falklands which he named "côtes de l'Assomption" in reference to his boat. Through his discoveries he participated in the improvement of cartographic knowledge. In January 1709, back in the Falklands after his crew had suffered an epidemic of scurvy, he was hunted down by the English ships of Woodes Rogers. He escaped from them before arriving in February in a Chilean port "where he ran a race and some trade". In Callao in July 1709, Porée joined General de la Mar del Sur's expedition to fight against the English presence and win important gains. The Galapagos Islands, the coasts as far as Panama and the western shore of Mexico were examined without any battles being fought against English ships.

The return to St. Malo is engaged on March 13, 1710. Porée docks on August 28, 1710 after a detour through Newfoundland to capture Captain Thomas Stadling and two of his sailors. This expedition was the last great voyage of this "very brave man" as defined by the privateer Duguay-Trouin. If the information gathered by Porée on the South of the Americas and the Spanish colonies is precious, the financial benefits are enormous and bring a profit of 150% for the shareholders. Porée thus brought back "eight million pounds, including 115,000 [sic.] piasters, 30 serrons of cocoa, 138 bars of tin and two barrels of furs". In fact, "L'Assomption's ship was supposed to bring in twelve million pounds both for himself, including the junk, and for the Holy Spirit who had been sold, and for the Spanish passengers (22 in number). However, the official declarations had been made and indicated that L'Assomption had earned 1,150,000 piasters, or 4,197,500 pounds. Half of the funds are missing and thus were not declared to the authorities. This infraction and the refusal to make available to the finances the documents of the armament, led Porée and its owner Magon de la Lande to prison.

Released after a few days, Alain Porée bought a position as adviser-secretary to the king in the chancelleries of the parliaments of Brittany and then Auvergne. His wealth thus enabled him to arm himself, while continuing to participate in the financing of the city of Saint-Malo. He actually bought "four lots [of buildings] in the first expansion east of rue Sainte-Barbe. He took to the sea one last time in 1729 to race off the coast of Tripolitania and present-day Algeria.

Conclusion

Preserved in the hands of the descendants of one of the most talented privateers of his time, this royal medallion with its fabulous diamonds illustrates the generosity of the Sun King to reward his most brilliant and faithful servants. Of these portrait boxes that he "distributes without counting", at least three remain today in their original diamond entourage. In addition, our copy is the only one known to date that is still in private hands. This work of art, conceived with modern technique by the most illustrious craftsmen of the time, remains more than ever an object of unequalled covetousness. It will be auctioned at the 32nd Garden Party organized by auctioneers Philippe and Aymeric Rouillac at the Château d'Artigny on Sunday, October 4, 2020. 

Bibliography
- BIMBENET-PRIVAT, Michèle, Les orfèvres et l'orfèvrerie de Paris au XVIIe siècle, t. II, Paris, 2002.
- BIMBENET-PRIVAT, Michèle, " Les pierreries de Louis XIV, objets de collection et instruments politiques " in Mémoires et documents de l'École des chartes, n°69, Paris, 2003, p. 81-96.
- BIMBENET-PRIVAT, Michèle, La boîte à portrait de Louis XIV, Paris, Somogy, 2015.
- BOÎTEL, Isabelle, L'image noire de Louis XIV. United Provinces, England (1668-1715), Ceyzérieu, Champ Vallon, 2016.
- BIRON, Isabelle, BIMBENET-PRIVAT, Michèle, DELAHAYE, Elisabeth et alii, Émaux sur métal du IX au XIXe siècle: Histoire, techniques et matériaux.
- COLLECTIVE], Diamonds. In the heart of the Earth, in the heart of the Stars, in the heart of Power. Cat. Paris, National Museum of Natural History, 2001.
- Collection Yves Saint Laurent et Pierre Bergé, Sales catalogue, Christie's, t. III, 2009, p. 42.
- FOUCQUERON, Gilles, Saint Malo. 2000 ans d'histoire, Saint-Malo, G. Foucqueron, 1999.
- GRANIER, Hubert et alii, Marins de France au combat (2). 1610-1715: marins méconnus du XVIIe siècle, France-Empire, 1994.
- KUGEL, Alexis, FESSY, Georges, KUGEL, Jacques, Joyaux de la Renaissance. A recovered splendor. Cat. Exp., Paris, Galerie J. Kugel, 2000.
- LESPAGNOL, André, La course malouine au temps de Louis XIV: entre l'argent et la gloire, Rennes, Éd. Apogée, 1995.
- LESPAGNOL, André, Messieurs de Saint-Malo: une élite négociante au temps de Louis XIV, Rennes, PUR, 2011.
- LEVOT, Prosper, Biographie bretonne, Vannes, Cauderan, Paris, J. Le Doyen, 1852.
- MANET, F-G-P-B, Biographie des Malouins célèbres..., 1824, Saint-Malo, Rottier.
- MAUREL, Charles, Malouins autour du monde, Éditions du Pen-Duick, 1986.
- MAZE-SENCIER, Alphonse, Le livre des collectionneurs, Paris, Librairie Renouard, 1893.
- MENESTRIER, Claude François, Histoire du Roy Louis Le Grand, Paris, Robert Pepie, I.B Nolin, 1693.
- MILOVANOVIC, Nicolas, MARAL, Alexandre, Louis XIV, L'homme et le roi, cat. exp., Paris, Skira Flammarion, 2009
- SCARISBRICK, Diana, Portrait Jewelry. Cameos, medals and miniatures of the Medici at the Romanovs, translated from English by Lydie Échasseriaud, London, Thames & Hudson, 2011
- TELLIER, Arnaud, "Who doesn't have his portrait of the Sun King? ", World Tempus, February 2007, available on: http://fr.worldtempus.com/article/patek-philippe-qui-na-pas-son-portrait-du-roi-soleil-3556.html
- THÉPAUT-CABASSET, Corinne, " Présent du roi: An Archive at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Paris ". Studies in the Decorative Arts, t. XV, n°1, 2007.

Illustrations:

Figure 1 Nicolas de Largillière, Portrait de Conrad Detlef, 1724, Brunswick, Musée.
Figure 1 Nicolas de Largillière, Portrait de Conrad Detlef, 1724, Brunswick, Musée.

Figure 2 Nicolas de Largillière, Portrait de Conrad Detlef, 1724, Brunswick, Musée (détail).
Figure 2 Nicolas de Largillière, Portrait de Conrad Detlef, 1724, Brunswick, Musée (détail).

Figure 3 Pierre Le Tessier de Montarsy (monture), Jean I Petitot (émail), Boîte à portrait of Louis XIV, 1683, La Haye, Gemeentemuseum.
Figure 3 Pierre Le Tessier de Montarsy (monture), Jean I Petitot (émail), Boîte à portrait of Louis XIV, 1683, La Haye, Gemeentemuseum.

Figure 4 Bernard Perrot, Portrait de Louis XIV, verre coulé, Haut. 37, Larg. 30,5 Prof. 1,5, vers 1680, Paris, Musée du Louvre.
Figure 4 Bernard Perrot, Portrait de Louis XIV, verre coulé, Haut. 37, Larg. 30,5 Prof. 1,5, vers 1680, Paris, Musée du Louvre.

Jean-Frédéric Bruckmann (émail), vraisemblablement atelier Le Tessier de Montarsy (monture), Boîte à portrait de Louis XIV, vers 1695, émail, or, Haut. 4,5, Larg. 3,2 cm. Genève, Musée Patek Philippe. Provenance: collection Melvin Gutman / Vente
Jean-Frédéric Bruckmann (émail), vraisemblablement atelier Le Tessier de Montarsy (monture), Boîte à portrait de Louis XIV, vers 1695, émail, or, Haut. 4,5, Larg. 3,2 cm. Genève, Musée Patek Philippe. Provenance: collection Melvin Gutman / Vente Sotheby’s, 3 avril 1970, collection Melvin Gutman, n°99 / Collection Georges Fessy.
In KUGEL, Alexis, FESSY, Georges, KUGEL, Jacques, Joyaux de la Renaissance. Une splendeur retrouvée. Cat. Exp., Paris, Galerie J. Kugel, 2000, p. 194

Figure 6 Jean-Frédéric Bruckmann (émail), vraisemblablement atelier Le Tessier de Montarsy (monture), Boîte à portrait de Louis XIV, vers 1695, émail, or, Haut. 4,5, Larg. 3,2 cm. Genève, Musée Patek Philippe. Provenance: collection Melvin Gutman
Figure 6 Jean-Frédéric Bruckmann (émail), vraisemblablement atelier Le Tessier de Montarsy (monture), Boîte à portrait de Louis XIV, vers 1695, émail, or, Haut. 4,5, Larg. 3,2 cm. Genève, Musée Patek Philippe. Provenance: collection Melvin Gutman / Vente Sotheby’s, 3 avril 1970, collection Melvin Gutman, n°99 / Collection Georges Fessy.
In KUGEL, Alexis, FESSY, Georges, KUGEL, Jacques, Joyaux de la Renaissance. Une splendeur retrouvée. Cat. Exp., Paris, Galerie J. Kugel, 2000, p. 194

Figure 7 Jean-Frédéric Bruckmann (émail), Boîte à portrait de Louis XIV, vers 1695, émail, or, Haut. 4,5, Larg. 3,2 cm., collection particulière.
Figure 7 Jean-Frédéric Bruckmann (émail), Boîte à portrait de Louis XIV, vers 1695, émail, or, Haut. 4,5, Larg. 3,2 cm., collection particulière.

Figure 8 Antoine Benoist, Portraits de Louis Le Grand à différents âges, vers 1692, Paris, BnF.
Figure 8 Antoine Benoist, Portraits de Louis Le Grand à différents âges, vers 1692, Paris, BnF.

Figure 9 Antoine Benoist, Portraits de Louis Le Grand à différents âges, vers 1692, Paris, BnF.
Figure 9 Antoine Benoist, Portraits de Louis Le Grand à différents âges, vers 1692, Paris, BnF.

Figure 10 Jean Mauger, Médaille Louis Le Grand, Dunkerque assiégé, mais garantie, 1695, bronze, Diam. 4,1 cm., Lille, Palais des Beaux-Arts. (NUM.MD1216).
Figure 10 Jean Mauger, Médaille Louis Le Grand, Dunkerque assiégé, mais garantie, 1695, bronze, Diam. 4,1 cm., Lille, Palais des Beaux-Arts. (NUM.MD1216).

Figure 11 Jean Mauger, Médaille de la Prise de Namur, 1692, in MENESTRIER, Claude François, Histoire du Roy Louis Le Grand, Paris, Robert Pepie, Paris, 1693, p. 33.
Figure 11 Jean Mauger, Médaille de la Prise de Namur, 1692, in MENESTRIER, Claude François, Histoire du Roy Louis Le Grand, Paris, Robert Pepie, Paris, 1693, p. 33.

Figure 12 Jean I Petitot (1607-1691), Boîte à portrait of Louis XIV, c.1680-1690, émail, or, argent et diamants, Haut. 7,2 cm., Paris, Musée du Louvre. Provenance: Vente Christie’s, Londres, 16 décembre 1997 (n°171) / Galerie Lavender, Londres /
Figure 12 Jean I Petitot (1607-1691), Boîte à portrait of Louis XIV, c.1680-1690, émail, or, argent et diamants, Haut. 7,2 cm., Paris, Musée du Louvre. Provenance: Vente Christie’s, Londres, 16 décembre 1997 (n°171) / Galerie Lavender, Londres / Galerie Jacques Kugel, Paris / Vente Christie’s, 23-25 février 2009, collection Yves Saint Laurent et Pierre Bergé, n°120 (481.000 euros, préemption du Musée du Louvre).

Figure 13 Jean I Petitot (1607-1691), Boîte à portrait of Louis XIV, c.1680-1690, émail, or, argent et diamants, Haut. 7,2 cm., Paris, Musée du Louvre. Provenance: Vente Christie’s, Londres, 16 décembre 1997 (n°171) / Galerie Lavender, Londres /
Figure 13 Jean I Petitot (1607-1691), Boîte à portrait of Louis XIV, c.1680-1690, émail, or, argent et diamants, Haut. 7,2 cm., Paris, Musée du Louvre. Provenance: Vente Christie’s, Londres, 16 décembre 1997 (n°171) / Galerie Lavender, Londres / Galerie Jacques Kugel, Paris / Vente Christie’s, 23-25 février 2009, collection Yves Saint Laurent et Pierre Bergé, n°120 (481.000 euros, préemption du Musée du Louvre).

Figure 14 Jean I Petitot (1607-1691), Boîte à portrait of Louis XIV, 1678, émail, argent et diamants, Bologne, Museo della Storia di Bologna, Palazzo Pepoli, & Santuario di Santa Maria della Vita
Figure 14 Jean I Petitot (1607-1691), Boîte à portrait of Louis XIV, 1678, émail, argent et diamants, Bologne, Museo della Storia di Bologna, Palazzo Pepoli, & Santuario di Santa Maria della Vita

Figure 15 Boîte à portrait d’Alain Porée, gravure in GRANIER, Hubert et alii, Marins de France au combat (2). 1610-1715: marins méconnus du XVIIe siècle, France-Empire, 1994.
Figure 15 Boîte à portrait d’Alain Porée, gravure in GRANIER, Hubert et alii, Marins de France au combat (2). 1610-1715: marins méconnus du XVIIe siècle, France-Empire, 1994.

Figure 16 Épée aux grandes armes de France, c. 1693, argent, Long. 95,4 cm., M.S Rau fine art, antique, jewels. Nouvelle Orléans.
Figure 16 Épée aux grandes armes de France, c. 1693, argent, Long. 95,4 cm., M.S Rau fine art, antique, jewels. Nouvelle Orléans.

Figure 17 Épée aux grandes armes de France, c. 1693, argent, Long. 95,4 cm., M.S Rau fine art, antique, jewels. Nouvelle Orléans.
Figure 17 Épée aux grandes armes de France, c. 1693, argent, Long. 95,4 cm., M.S Rau fine art, antique, jewels. Nouvelle Orléans.
Subscribe to our newsletter:
Follow us: