Portrait-de-James-Alexandre-de-Pourtales-Gorgier

The Art Collection of James-Alexandre, comte de Pourtalès-Gorgier was a collection of sculpture, antiques and paintings owned by James-Alexandre de Pourtalès, Comte de Pourtalès-Gorgier until his death in 1855.

History

The Comte de Pourtalès-Gorgier (1776–1855), was a Swiss-French banker who served as Chamberlain to the

King of Prussia The monarchs of Prussia were members of the House of Hohenzollern who were the hereditary rulers of the former German state of Prussia from its founding in 1525 as the Duchy of Prussia. The Duchy had evolved out of the Teutonic Order, a Roman C ...

and was awarded the title of Count by King

Frederick William III Frederick William III (german: Friedrich Wilhelm III.; 3 August 1770 – 7 June 1840) was King of Prussia from 16 November 1797 until his death in 1840. He was concurrently Elector of Brandenburg in the Holy Roman Empire until 6 August 1806, w ...

, who ruled Prussia during the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

and the end of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...

. The collection was largely held at Hôtel de Pourtalès, his

hôtel particulier An ''hôtel particulier'' () is a grand townhouse, comparable to the British townhouse or mansion. Whereas an ordinary ''maison'' (house) was built as part of a row, sharing party walls with the houses on either side and directly fronting on a ...

(essentially a grand townhouse) on Rue Tronchet in the

8th arrondissement of Paris The 8th arrondissement of Paris (''VIIIe arrondissement'') is one of the 20 arrondissements of the capital city of France. In spoken French, the arrondissement is colloquially referred to as ''le huitième'' ("the eighth"). The arrondissement, ...

. The collection, which started with a vase, included the ''

Laughing Cavalier The ''Laughing Cavalier'' (1624) is a portrait by the Dutch Golden Age painter Frans Hals in the Wallace Collection in London, which has been described as "one of the most brilliant of all Baroque portraits". The title is an invention of the Vict ...

'' by

Frans Hals Frans Hals the Elder (, , ; – 26 August 1666) was a Dutch Golden Age painter, chiefly of individual and group portraits and of genre works, who lived and worked in Haarlem. Hals played an important role in the evolution of 17th-century gro ...

and works by

Bronzino Agnolo di Cosimo (; 17 November 150323 November 1572), usually known as Bronzino ( it, Il Bronzino ) or Agnolo Bronzino, was an Italian Mannerist painter from Florence. His sobriquet, ''Bronzino'', may refer to his relatively dark skin or red ...

Rembrandt Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (, ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), usually simply known as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker and draughtsman. An innovative and prolific master in three media, he is generally co ...

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres ( , ; 29 August 1780 – 14 January 1867) was a French Neoclassical painter. Ingres was profoundly influenced by past artistic traditions and aspired to become the guardian of academic orthodoxy against the a ...

and a

Sandro Botticelli Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi ( – May 17, 1510), known as Sandro Botticelli (, ), was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance. Botticelli's posthumous reputation suffered until the late 19th century, when he was rediscovered ...

portrait. In 1825, he donated a mummy and coffin he acquired from the Thedenat-Duvent sale, to the

Berlin Museum Berlin Museum may refer to: * Museum Island * Altes Museum * Antikensammlung Berlin * Egyptian Museum of Berlin * Neues Museum * Pergamon Museum * Vorderasiatisches Museum Berlin See also * List of museums and galleries in Berlin Active mu ...

. In February and March 1865, ten years after his death, his collection was auctioned off in Paris in accordance with his will. The majority of his collection was photographed and published in a large folio catalog by

Goupil & Cie Goupil & Cie is an international auction house and merchant of contemporary art and collectibles. Jean-Baptiste Adophe Goupil founded Goupil & Cie in 1850. Goupil & Cie became a leading art dealership in 19th-century France, with its headquart ...

. The ''Laughing Cavalier'' was purchased by

Richard Seymour-Conway, 4th Marquess of Hertford Captain Richard Seymour-Conway, 4th Marquess of Hertford KG (22 February 1800 – 25 August 1870) was an English aristocrat and sometime politician who spent his life in France devoted to collecting art. From birth to 1822 he was styled V ...

(who outbid Baron James Mayer de Rothschild).

William Tyssen-Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst of Hackney William Amhurst Tyssen-Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst of Hackney, (25 April 1835 – 16 January 1909) was a British Conservative Member of Parliament and collector of books and works of art. Background and education Born William Amhurst Daniel-Ty ...

bought some of the important Egyptian objects. Sir Charles Thomas Newton spent 60,919 francs on bronzes and vases for the

British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docume ...

, and 47,000 francs on

Giustiniani The House of Giustiniani is the name of a prominent Italian family which originally belonged to Venice, but also established itself in Genoa, and at various times had representatives in Naples, Corsica and in the islands of the Archipelago, where t ...

's ''

Apollo Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...

''.

Collection

;Paintings File:Cavalier soldier Hals-1624x.jpg, ''

'' by

File:Bronzino (Agnolo di Cosimo di Mariano) - Portrait of a Young Man - The Metropolitan Museum of Art.jpg, alt=, '' Portrait of a Young Man with a Book'' by

Agnolo Bronzino Agnolo di Cosimo (; 17 November 150323 November 1572), usually known as Bronzino ( it, Il Bronzino ) or Agnolo Bronzino, was an Italian Mannerist painter from Florence. His sobriquet, ''Bronzino'', may refer to his relatively dark skin or reddi ...

, 1540 File:Saint Philip Neri (1515–1595) MET DP-944-001.jpg, ''

Saint Philip Neri Philip Romolo Neri ( ; it, italics=no, Filippo Romolo Neri, ; 22 July 151526 May 1595), known as the "Second Apostle of Rome", after Saint Peter, was an Italian priest noted for founding a society of secular clergy called the Congregation of th ...

'', by

Carlo Dolci Carlo (or Carlino) Dolci (25 May 1616 – 17 January 1686) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, active mainly in Florence, known for highly finished religious pictures, often repeated in many versions. Biography He was born in Florence, ...

, File:Fra Angelico - The Healing of Palladia by Saint Cosmas and Saint Damian - WGA00511.jpg, "The Healing of Palladia by Saint Cosmas and Saint Damian", by

Fra Angelico Fra Angelico (born Guido di Pietro; February 18, 1455) was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance, described by Vasari in his '' Lives of the Artists'' as having "a rare and perfect talent".Giorgio Vasari, ''Lives of the Artists''. Pengu ...

, –1440 File:Sandro Botticelli, Portrait of a Youth, c. 1482-1485, NGA 21.jpg, ''Portrait of a Youth''. by

, –1485 File:Workshop of Titian, Allegory of Love, c. 1520-1540, NGA 400.jpg, ''Allegory of Love'', by the Workshop of

Titian Tiziano Vecelli or Vecellio (; 27 August 1576), known in English as Titian ( ), was an Italian (Venetian) painter of the Renaissance, considered the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, n ...

, –1540 File:Quentin Massys, Ill-Matched Lovers, c. 1520-1525, NGA 52622.jpg, '' Ill-Matched Lovers'', by Quentin Massys, –1525 File:Rembrandt van Rijn (and Workshop?), The Apostle Paul, c. 1657, NGA 1198.jpg, '' The Apostle Paul'', by

Rembrandt van Rijn Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (, ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), usually simply known as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker and draughtsman. An innovative and prolific master in three media, he is generally consi ...

, File:Dosso DOSSI , Battista DOSSI (attributed to) - Lucrezia Borgia, Duchess of Ferrara - Google Art Project.jpg, ''

Lucrezia Borgia Lucrezia Borgia (; ca-valencia, Lucrècia Borja, links=no ; 18 April 1480 – 24 June 1519) was a Spanish-Italian noblewoman of the House of Borgia who was the daughter of Pope Alexander VI and Vannozza dei Cattanei. She reigned as the Gover ...

Duchess of Ferrara Lady of Ferrara House of Este, 1187–1264 Marchioness of Ferrara House of Este, 1264–1471 Duchess of Ferrara House of Este, 1471–1598 Notes Sources

* *{{MLCC , warning=1 , url=http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/MODENA, ...

'', by

Battista Dossi Battista Dossi (ca. 1490–1548), also known as Battista de Luteri, was an Italian painter who belonged to the Ferrara School of Painting. He spent nearly his entire career in service of the Court of Ferrara, where he worked with his older ...

, –1530 File:The Landscape Painter.JPG, "The Landscape Painter" by

François Boucher François Boucher ( , ; ; 29 September 1703 – 30 May 1770) was a French painter, draughtsman and etcher, who worked in the Rococo style. Boucher is known for his idyllic and voluptuous paintings on classical themes, decorative allegories ...

File:Leyden Bearing of the Cross.jpg, ''Bearing of the Cross with St. Veronica'', by

Lucas van Leyden Lucas van Leyden (1494 – 8 August 1533), also named either Lucas Hugensz or Lucas Jacobsz, was a Dutch painter and printmaker in engraving and woodcut. Lucas van Leyden was among the first Dutch exponents of genre painting and was a very ac ...

, File:Henri d'Albret (1503–55), King of Navarre MET DT572.jpg, ''

Henri d'Albret Henry II (18 April 1503 – 25 May 1555), nicknamed ''Sangüesino'' because he was born at Sangüesa, was the King of Navarre from 1517, although his kingdom had been reduced to a small territory north of the Pyrenees by the Spanish conquest of 15 ...

King of Navarre This is a list of the kings and queens of kingdom of Pamplona, Pamplona, later kingdom of Navarre, Navarre. Pamplona was the primary name of the kingdom until its union with Kingdom of Aragon, Aragon (1076–1134). However, the territorial desig ...

, by

Léonard Limousin Leonard Limousin (or Limosin) (c. 1505 – c. 1577) was a French painter, the most famous of a family of seven Limoges enamel painters, the son of a Limoges innkeeper. He is supposed to have studied under Nardon Pénicaud. He was certainly at ...

, 1556 File:Anne de Pisseleu (1508–1576), Duchesse d'Étampes MET DP102428.jpg, '' Anne de Pisseleu'' Duchesse d'Étampes, by

Corneille de Lyon Corneille de Lyon (early 16th century – 8 November 1575 (buried)) was a Dutch painter of portraits who was active in Lyon, France, from 1533 until his death. In France and the Netherlands he is also still known as ''Corneille de La Haye'' ( ...

, –40 ;Sculpture and pottery File:Head Apollo BM Sc1547.jpg, '' Head of Apollo'', that was once in the collection of Vincenzo Giustiniani, Roman copy of –140 File:Hera Borghese N4525.jpg, ''Head of the Borghese Hera'' File:Bronze Apollon Louvre Br522.jpg, ''

'', holding his (lost) bow in the right hand and a (lost) laurel branch in the left hand File:Mercury tortoise Louvre Br184.jpg, '' Mercury'', holding a lost object, probably a tortoise, 1st century BC File:Stele of Jason BM 1865.1-3.3.jpg, Funerary stele of

Jason Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greece, ancient Greek Greek mythology, mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was marri ...

, BC File:Sacrifice à Déméter et Core (Louvre, Ma 752).jpg, Sacrifice to Demeter ( Ceres) and Core ( Proserpine), –320 BC File:Death Actaeon BM VaseF176.jpg,

Actaeon Actaeon (; grc, Ἀκταίων ''Aktaion''), in Greek mythology, son of the priestly herdsman Aristaeus and Autonoe in Boeotia, was a famous Theban hero. Like Achilles in a later generation, he was trained by the centaur Chiron. He fell t ...

attacked by his hounds by Dolon Painter File:Dionysos kantharos Louvre CA2981-2984.jpg,

Dionysos In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, myth, Dionysus (; grc, wikt:Διόνυσος, Διόνυσος ) is the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstas ...

holding a

kantharos A ''kantharos'' ( grc, κάνθαρος) or cantharus is a type of ancient Greek cup used for drinking. Although almost all surviving examples are in Greek pottery, the shape, like many Greek vessel types, probably originates in metalwork. In ...

, –480 BC File:Dionysos Ploutos BM F68.jpg,

and

Ploutos In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Plutus (; grc-gre, Πλοῦτος, Ploûtos, wealth) is the god and the personification of wealth, and the son of the goddess of agriculture Demeter and the mortal Iasion. Family Plutus is most commonl ...

surrounded by

satyr In Greek mythology, a satyr ( grc-gre, σάτυρος, sátyros, ), also known as a silenus or ''silenos'' ( grc-gre, σειληνός ), is a male nature spirit with ears and a tail resembling those of a horse, as well as a permanent, exa ...

s and

maenad In Greek mythology, maenads (; grc, μαινάδες ) were the female followers of Dionysus and the most significant members of the Thiasus, the god's retinue. Their name literally translates as "raving ones". Maenads were known as Bassarids, ...

s, –360 BC File:Thetis Peleus Louvre G373.jpg,

Peleus In Greek mythology, Peleus (; Ancient Greek: Πηλεύς ''Pēleus'') was a hero, king of Phthia, husband of Thetis and the father of their son Achilles. This myth was already known to the hearers of Homer in the late 8th century BC. Biogr ...

wrestling Thetis and holding her as she transforms into a snake, BC File:Xanthias Heracles BM VaseF233.jpg, The actor

Xanthias Xanthias refers to several characters, notably all slaves, who appear in plays by the Ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes. History In ''The Frogs'', Xanthias is the slave of Dionysus. He delivers the opening line of the play, riding on Dionysus ...

, standing next to a statuette of

Heracles Heracles ( ; grc-gre, Ἡρακλῆς, , glory/fame of Hera), born Alcaeus (, ''Alkaios'') or Alcides (, ''Alkeidēs''), was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, and the foster son of Amphitryon.By his adopt ...

, –340 BC File:Zeus Louvre G204.jpg,

Zeus Zeus or , , ; grc, Δῐός, ''Diós'', label=genitive Boeotian Aeolic and Laconian grc-dor, Δεύς, Deús ; grc, Δέος, ''Déos'', label=genitive el, Δίας, ''Días'' () is the sky and thunder god in ancient Greek religion, ...

wielding the thunderbolt in his right hand, –470 BC File:Dish- The Destruction of the Hosts of Pharaoh MET SLP1232-1.jpg, "The Destruction of the Hosts of Pharaoh" (front), by

Jacques Courtois Jacques Courtois or Giacomo Cortese, called il Borgognone or le Bourguignon (12 ?December 162114 November 1676) was a Franche-Comtois– Italian painter, draughtsman, and etcher. He was mainly active in Rome and Florence and became known as th ...

, early 17th century File:Dish- The Destruction of the Hosts of Pharaoh MET SLP1232-2.jpg, "The Destruction of the Hosts of Pharaoh" (back), by

, early 17th century File:Dish with Achelous and Theseus MET DP326942.jpg, Dish with

Achelous In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Achelous (also Acheloos or Acheloios) (; Ancient Greek: Ἀχελώϊος, and later , ''Akhelôios'') was the god associated with the Achelous River, the largest river in Greece. According to Hesiod, h ...

and

Theseus Theseus (, ; grc-gre, Θησεύς ) was the mythical king and founder-hero of Athens. The myths surrounding Theseus his journeys, exploits, and friends have provided material for fiction throughout the ages. Theseus is sometimes describ ...

, by Maestro Domenego da Venezia, –70

References

;Sources ;Further reading
Pourtalès-Gorgier. Catalogue des Objets d'Art et de haute curiosité, antiques, du moyen age et de la renaissance, qui cornposent les Collections de feu M. le Comte de Pourtalès-Gorgier
(in French), Paris 1865

External links

at the

National Gallery of Art The National Gallery of Art, and its attached Sculpture Garden, is a national art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, located on the National Mall, between 3rd and 9th Streets, at Constitution Avenue NW. Open to the public and free of ch ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Comte de Pourtalès, Art collection of Private art collections