Malvina Mortier de Trévise
Louis-Léopold Boilly·c. 1810/1812
Historical Context
Boilly's portrait of Malvina Mortier de Trévise from around 1810-12, the companion to his Caroline portrait, shows the two sisters in matching compositions that together documented the family's aristocratic identity during the Napoleonic period. His pendant portrait pairs allowed comparison between individual family members' physiognomies and self-presentation while maintaining the consistency that marked them as a unified family group. The Mortier de Trévise portraits, now separated between the National Gallery of Art and other collections, reflect the dispersal of family portrait pairs that has separated many such pendants in the art market.
Technical Analysis
The oil on canvas shows Boilly's trademark precision with delicate flesh tones, meticulous rendering of fabric and accessories, and a smooth, polished surface that recalls the tradition of 18th-century French portrait miniatures.
Provenance
Jacques-Victor, comte de la Béraudière [1808-1884], château de Bouzillé, near Angers, France; by inheritance to his son, comte de la Béraudière, château de Bouzillé; his widow, Marie-Thérèse, comtesse de la Béraudière, Paris; (her sale, American Art Association, New York, 11-13 December 1930, 1st day, no. 9); purchased by (H.E. Russell) for Chester Dale [1883-1962], New York; bequest 1963 to NGA.
