18th century FRENCH school Pierre GAUTIER*** - Lot 35

18th century FRENCH school Pierre GAUTIER*** Presumed portrait of Chevalier Joseph de Vallière, artillery officer, wearing the Order of Saint-Louis. Canvas. Signed lower left: Gautier / pinxit Transcription of the signature on the back of the canvas, on the lining canvas Gautier (Pierre) Pinxit / 1764 121 x 97 cm Provenance: Laurin-Guilloux-Buffetaud-Tailleur sale, Paris, Hôtel Drouot, June 24, 1981, no. 122 (23,000frs). Considered to be an artillery officer in red and blue uniform when it went on sale in 1981, we now propose to identify our portrait as that of the Marquis de Vallière. Thanks to the Recueil de tous les membres composant l'ordre royal et militaire de Saint- Louis, depuis l'année 1693 by Jean-François-Louis d'Hozier (Paris, Smith et Gide fils, 1818, tome II, pp. 445-446), we learn that Chevalier Joseph de Vallière (1717-1776), Marquis de Vallière, son of Jean-Florent de Vallière (1667-1759), was made a Knight of the Order of Saint-Louis on March 1, 1743 (the distinction of Chevalier de Saint-Louis appears on the model's left breast). of the model); he became lieutenant of artillery the same day. He was promoted to brigadier des armées du roi the following year, and in March 1747, following his father's resignation, he was appointed inspector general of artillery schools and weapons factories. In May 1748, he was promoted to lieutenant-general of the king's armies, and served as commander during the Seven Years' War, under d'Estrées, Soubise and Contades. Five years before our picture was painted, Chevalier de Vallière became Governor of Bergues on the death of his father on January 6, 1759. (J.-P. Grandjean de Fouchy, Éloge de M. le marquis de Vallière, delivered at the Académie royale des sciences on April 17, 1776). It is likely that our painting depicts him at Fort Vallière, built by Vauban and located between Dunkirk and Bergues. At the same time, he led the "Red" clan, in opposition to Gribeauval's "Blue" clan; this is illustrated by the red uniform worn by the marquis and the soldiers to his left. Faced with the military artillery reforms of the 1730s, Vallière was opposed to the modernization of cannons, which he considered less powerful and less accurate due to their light weight, making them unsuitable to defend strongholds. Thus, he had himself portrayed alongside a cannon that he considered capable of defending or attacking a citadel, the plan of which he held in his left hand. The date 1764 corresponds to his return to France after serving the King of Spain. The Base documentaire Bas'Art website (https://artillerie.asso.fr/basart/ article.php3?id_article=1947) of the Musée de Draguignan, reproduces a bust portrait of our model.