Art, Myth & Old Masters · 19th century
€ 310
One of a kind: this is the sheet in the photographs. Ships from Langweer, the Netherlands.
Condition report: Very good condition with fresh hand-coloring. Margins show only faint toning, blank verso. Strong impression.
Hand-Colored Portrait of Jacqueline de la Grange, France, ca. 1900 (after 1827)
Hand-colored engraving of Jacqueline de la Grange (d. 1422), wife of Jean de Montagu, Grand Master of France under Charles VI. She is depicted in elaborate noble attire, reflecting the wealth and heraldic pride of her distinguished lineage. This print comes from the Galerie Française de Femmes Célèbres, a series first published in Paris in 1827 with designs by Louis-Marie Lanté (artist) and Georges Jacques Gatine (engraver), and republished around 1900 with renewed coloring for collectors and students of costume history.
Jacqueline is portrayed in a sumptuous gown of crimson and pink, with a surcoat richly decorated with heraldic motifs, including fleurs-de-lys and black birds. The garment is trimmed with ermine, a symbol of high rank and aristocratic privilege. Over her shoulders falls a mantle lined with fur, its long train extending gracefully to the ground. Her headdress is particularly striking: a tall, elaborate crown-like structure adorned with large multicolored jewels and a light veil, emphasizing her noble status and her role in dynastic alliances.
Jacqueline de la Grange was married in 1388 to Jean de Montagu, who became one of the most influential figures at the French court before his downfall and execution in 1409. Jacqueline herself lived until 1422, a witness to the turbulent late medieval period marked by the Hundred Years’ War and the struggles between rival factions in France.
This plate, produced around 1900, faithfully reproduces the 1827 Lanté and Gatine design, with bright hand-coloring that enhances both the heraldic details and the luxurious fabrics. Such prints were highly prized for their combination of historical portraiture and fashion documentation, making them both decorative and scholarly.
Condition report: Very good condition with fresh hand-coloring. Margins show only faint toning, blank verso. Strong impression.
Framing tips: Best displayed in a gold or black frame with a wide ivory mount. A secondary mat in deep red or burgundy would bring out the tones of the gown and heraldic details.
Technique: Hand-colored engraving (later impression, ca. 1900)
Maker: After Louis-Marie Lanté (artist) and Georges Jacques Gatine (engraver), Paris, 1827
