Portrait of a Lady Holding an Orange Blossom C.1695; Circle of Jean-baptiste Santerre (1651–1717)

This lavish large-scale portrait, painted circa 1695, depicts a beautiful woman standing beside a flowering jardinière and a swag curtain. It contains symbolism that was typical of portraiture at the time. The prominent spray of orange blossom that she is holding is a traditional representation of marriage and eternal love in art, but it also alludes to youth and freshness. The sumptuous clothing, jewellery, and the swag curtain were traditional symbols of wealth.

This painting abounds with ingenious flourishes and many demonstrations of the painter's skill. A remarkable care is exercised, for example, in the painting of the sitter's face, the white lace, and the treatment of the utterly sumptuous drapery. The beautifully rendered lace engageante sleeves, held at the elbow by an elaborate golden band with jewels, are a prominent feature of the attire.

Jean-Baptiste Santerre (1651-1717), was a French Baroque Era Painter often associated with Jean-Honoré Fragonard but notable in his own right. Santerre was born at Magny-en-Vexin, in France. He was a pupil of the painters Bon Boullogne and François Lemaire. Although he was accepted as an academic on October 18, 1704 and exhibited in the famous Parisian Halls, he stood out for his creation in Versailles of an academy or school for women, for whose studies he designed interesting and numerous models. Undoubtedly, such works reveal his mastery in drawing, although he also showed a rich and diversified colour throughout his production on canvas.

He began his painting career as a portraitist and these works are remarkable. His most notable work is his Susanna at the Bath (Louvre), which was the diploma work executed by him in 1704 when he was received into the Académie. This work contributed to Santerre's fifty-year reputation as a painter of the erotic nude, in which field he was the forerunner to François Boucher (1730–1770) and Jean-Honoré Fragonard (1732–1806). These works were known not only for their quality but also for a sensual tone that surprised and even outraged his contemporaries. He was active between 1666 and 1717. He died in Paris.

Provenance:

• Christies London 8th July 1916, Lot: 91, PORTRAIT OF A LADY, in red satin dress, by an orange tree, 39 x 31 ¼ in. Sold for: £35.14.0 [34gns], Buyer: Bell, Vendor: J. R. Thomas

• Private Uk collection (for at least three decades, until 2019)

Measurements: Height 120cm, Width 100cm framed (Height 47.25”, Width 39.5” framed)

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