Pierre Duval le Camus (French, 1790-1854) oil on panel cabinet painting depicting a young woman standing in an ornate white dress with train festooned with pink flowers, reaching to pluck a grape from a vine climbing up a column. A distant landscape is visible in the background. Signed P. Duval lower right. Housed in an ornate giltwood frame, possibly original, with fruit and berry molded inner edge, set off from an egg and dart molded outer frame by a raised velvet mat with shield shaped corner moldings. Artist's nameplate lower center. Sight: 12" H x 5" W. Framed: 20" H x 13" W. Biography: Pierre Duval Le Camus was born in Lisieux, France to a master glazier who sent him to Paris to study business. Le Camus sought out artistic training instead, studying under Pierre-Claude Gautherot and eventually under Jacques Louis David. After being sought out for the portrait of a prominent judge in 1811, Le Camus began a career of lucrative commissions for Parisian high society. He split his time between genre works and these portraits of prominent individuals. He exhibited at the Paris Salon from 1819 to 1853, founded the Museum of Art and History of Lisieux in 1837, became a Knight of the Legion of Honor, and served as mayor of the town of Saint-Cloud from 1853 to 1854, where he died. Source: Emmanuelle le Bail and Jessica Volet, Catalogue de l'exposition Les Duval Le Camus, Peintres de Pere en Fils, Musee des Avelines, 2010.

PROVENANCE: The Estate of Pia Stratton, Nashville, Tennessee.

CONDITION: Painting is in excellent condition other than a 1/16" flake to the upper left corner near frame edge. Frame with losses up to 2" to moldings including loss to lower left inner corner molding. Nearly all the velvet flocking has been lost from the mat.