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Auction: 25360 - The 360th Anniversary Sale
Lot: 51

17TH CENTURY PORTRAIT MINIATURE, BELIEVED TO BE OF FRANÇOISE D'AUBIGNÉ, MARQUISE DE MAINTENON

17th Century Portrait Miniature, depicting a lady with dark curly hair, wearing deep blue, bejewelled gown, believed to be Louis XIV's second wife Françoise d'Aubigné, Marquise de Maintenon, possibly oil on copper[?], 2.5cm x 3cm, housed within a square silver (Spink XRF: 77% Silver, 21% Copper, 2% Other traces) decorative frame with floral motifs in each corner, and the date '1666' engraved below portrait, the alloy make-up and the level of workmanship suggest this frame was a later edition, and perhaps the miniature was originally set in a pendant or oval frame to be worn on the person.
The portrait is in very fine condition with very light fading about the edges and subtle cracks in the paint beginning to show, the current frame likely dates to the mid-18th century to early 20th century, but the portrait contemporary to the sitter.

Françoise d’Aubigné, Marquise de Maintenon (1635-1719) was born in Niort in 1635 to an impoverished branch of the Huguenot nobility, Françoise d’Aubigné overcame a turbulent childhood to become one of the most influential women of Louis XIV’s reign. Widowed young after her marriage to the poet Paul Scarron, she entered the orbit of the court as governess to the King’s illegitimate children by Madame de Montespan. Discreet, intelligent, and pious, she won Louis XIV’s confidence and, following the death of Queen Maria Theresa, secretly married him in 1683.

Although never officially queen, Madame de Maintenon became a central figure at Versailles, fostering an atmosphere of dignity and moral restraint, and exercising considerable, if discreet, political influence. In 1686 she founded the Maison royale de Saint-Louis at Saint-Cyr, a pioneering school for the daughters of impoverished nobles, reflecting her enduring commitment to female education.

She remained at Louis XIV’s side until his death in 1715, after which she retired to Saint-Cyr, where she died in 1719 aged 83. Remembered alternately as a devout reformer or as a skilful courtier, she was the last great female presence in the Sun King’s life and a figure whose legacy combined political acumen with cultural and educational patronage.



Provenance

Auktionshaus Metz, Germany, December 2024




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Estimate
£800 to £1,200

Starting price
£500