Footnotes

• The subject of the present lot was engraved by François de Poilly, circa 1650. In an article published in the Burlington Magazine, The `Mignardes`, Sassoferrato and Roman classicism during the 1650s, February, 1981, Jean-Claude Boyer and François Macé de Lépinay argue that many of Mignard's compositions were copied by Sassoferrato and that pictures given as being by Mignard are actually by Sassoferrato himself. For example, a picture in the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart of the same subject as the present lot, but of a smaller format and on copper, is given as Sassoferrato, possibily copying the de Poilly engraving, whilst a version in reverse is in the Musée des Beaux Arts, Rouen, ascribed to Mignard. The emergence of the present signed picture, although painted some 23 years later than the engraving of the same subject, must now throw into question some of the observations and assertions made by Messrs Boyer and de Lépinay.
  
  Pierre Mignard was born at Troyes on the 7th November 1612, and was originally destined to enter the medical profession. He entered the studio of Jean Boucher in Bourges for a year before studying and copying the 16th century decorations at the Château de Fontainebleau by Rosso Fiorentino, Francesco Primataccio and others. In 1633 Mignard left for Paris and entered the studio of Simon Vouet, the most prominent representative of the Italian Baroque style of painting in France. It was in Vouet's studio that he formed a close friendship with Charles-Alphonse Dufresnoy (1611-1665), the painter and critic. Towards the end of 1637 Mignard left Paris for Rome, where he was to stay until 1657. It was in Rome that Mignard established himself as an industrious and accomplished painter, with many portrait commissions from rich patrons including princes, cardinals and three successive popes, Urban VIII, Innocent X and Alexander VII. Whilst in Rome, Mignard also produced many religious works, predominantly Madonnas, which came to be known as `mignardes`, some of which have erroneously been attributed to Sassoferrato. In 1657 he was made a member of the Accademia di San Lucca, and exhibited widely in Rome, being compared to Guido Reni and Pietro da Cortona. By 1658 Mignard had returned to Paris, summoned by Louis XIV, where he painted portraits of the king and other members of the royal family. He was to remain in Paris, and soon became the most fashionable and prolific portrait painter of his time. With the death of Charles Le Brun in 1690, Mignard was appointed Premier Peintre becoming professor, treasurer, rector and director of the Académie Royale.

Saleroom notices

• Please note the catalogue entry should read ‘ Giovanni Battista Salvi, called il Sassoferrato (Sassoferrato 1609-1685’ and ‘bears the signature and date ‘P.Mignard pinxit parisiis.1673.’ (on plinth, lower right).