ISABEY (Jean-Baptiste). (Nancy, 1767 – Paris, 1855). French - Lot 228

ISABEY (Jean-Baptiste). (Nancy, 1767 – Paris, 1855). French painter, draftsman, and miniaturist; renowned portraitist of the court of Napoleon I and the monarchs of the Restoration. Autograph letter signed “Isabey” to the architect Jacques-Ignace Hittorff (1792–1867). [No place, probably in Italy], March 3 [1852]. 1 page, in-8 format, in brown ink. A few creases and slight signs of handling. An interesting letter recounting his trip to Italy with his son Eugène Isabey, a painter and lithographer, and announcing their imminent arrival in Rome. Isabey writes to his friend, the architect Jacques-Ignace Hittorff—whom he affectionately calls “my dear Itorf”—to give him an update on his trip to Italy. He mentions a matter concerning Caesar, then describes his itinerary in the company of his son Eugène, with whom he is traveling across the peninsula. “We must render to Caesar what is Caesar’s. I would not have left without doing so and without letting you know that I am taking my Eugène [...] to Italy. On the 10th, we’ll get in the carriage and head straight to Rome to see Holy Week—and from there, all of Italy. From Naples to Venice. And back via Switzerland! Where will you be?” This correspondence brings together two important figures from the 19th-century art world. Jean-Baptiste Isabey, portraitist of Marie-Antoinette, Napoleon I, and Joséphine de Beauharnais, was one of the most sought-after miniaturists of his time. His son, Eugène Isabey (1803–1886), a painter of seascapes and landscapes, also enjoyed a brilliant career. The recipient, Jacques-Ignace Hittorff, an architect of German origin based in Paris, was notably one of the leading figures in 19th-century French architecture and a passionate advocate of ancient polychromy. A beautiful travel letter attesting to the personal and artistic relationship between Isabey and Hittorff, as well as the close bond between the painter and his son Eugène.

Estimate:$201.98

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