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TOCQUE, Louis (1696-1772)
Court painter to King Louis XV and son-in-law of J.M. Nattier.

"LE DUC DE CHARTRES"

Painting: 57-1/2" x 45". 

The young Duc de Chartres of the Orleans family is portrayed at the age of eight, according to the title of the exhibition of 1755 "...throwing bread to swans in a pool...", in the park of Saint-Cloud. (see Bulletin de la Societe de l'Histoire de l"Art Francais, 1927).

The Duc, thus portrayed, was the son of Louis Philippe, Duc d'Orleans, and Louis-Henriette de Bourbon-Conti. Duc de Chartres in 1752, Duc d'Orleans in 1785, his surname was "Philippe Egalité" and he voted at the "Convention" in favor of the death of his cousin, King Louis XVI, whose same fate, however, was meted out to him as he in turn was beheaded in 1793. 

The Duc de Chartres is represented full length, three-quarters to the left, with powdered hair combed backward, brown eyes looking toward the left, blue suit with gold buttons, cuffs and vest gray, embroidered with pink and blue flowers and bordered by wide gold braid, black tie, white lace cuffs and jabot, blue breeches, white stockings, black shoes with red heels and buckles, sword to the side. With his right hand he throws bread to two swans which are in the pool; with his left hand he holds a black three-cornered hat. At his right a dog; background of the park, wall of stone decorated with a vase, a fountain, foliage; to the left an orange tree in a box and rose trees. 

Collections: Marquis of Hertford - Chateau de Bagatelle
Sir Richard Wallace - Chateau de Bagatelle
Sir John Murray Scott
Lady Sackville-West

Bibliography: "L'Année littéraire", 1775, t. IV "Exposition des tableaux" 
par Freron, lettre III, p. 54.
"Dictionnaire d'Auvray", Vol. II, p. 579
"Bulletin de la Societe de l'Histoire de l'Art Francais" 
1927, "Quelques Oeuvres de Tocque indentifiées" by 
Count Arnauld Doria. 
"Louis Tocque" by Count Arnauld Doria, Edition Les Beaux 
Arts "L'Art Francais", 1929, (no. 255 of the catalogue, 
reproduced on p. 248, Fig. 116)

Exhibited: Salon 1755 - exhibited with following mention (No. 48.)
"Le portrait en pied de Monseigneur le Duc de Chartres
jettant de pain à des cygnes, dans un bassin". Paris.
"Deux Siecles de l'Histoire de France" (1589-1789)
"Centennaire du Musee de Versailles" - Chateau de Versailles
June-October 1937 (second edition of catalogue). 
"French Painting, 1100-1900" October-December '51, Carnegie
Institute, No. 89, reproduced.

see page 2.