IN THE SPOTLIGHT

A portrait with two incredible secrets

When a miniature painting of a gentleman bedecked in an elaborate ruff was bought ‘unseen’ at an English country house sale last year, it was initially believed to be Sir Walter Raleigh. However, on close inspection, the experts at Philip Mould & Co revealed the likeness to be of Henri III, King of France (1551– 89). Works of Henri painted while he was alive are incredibly rare. This is partly due to the fact that owning any royal portraits during the French Revolution of 1789 was extremely risky and so many were consequently destroyed.

The portrait is likely to have been painted in the Louvre in Paris, which was a royal residence at the time of Henri’s reign. Precisely how a 16thcentury royal portrait made its way across the Channel from France is unknown, but this simply adds to the miniature’s allure.

The second important discovery was made when a conservator carefully opened up the painting’s frame and found the signature ‘ Decourt’ and the date ‘1578’ inside. Jean Decourt enjoyed an illustrious career as the official court artist to King Charles IX of France (Henri’s brother) and also Mary, Queen of Scots. Excitingly, this is the first time Decourt’s signature has been definitively ascribed to him on a portrait, making this a groundbreaking find. ‘ This work is a French National Treasure – a hugely significant unpublished image of a misunderstood king, and confirmation of Jean Decourt’s immense talent,’ says art dealer Philip Mould. ‘It would be wonderful if it could ‘come home’ to Paris, as I believe that is where it truly belongs. We have therefore given the Louvre the first opportunity to purchase it.’ philipmould.com