Presumed portrait of Ninon de Lenclos -Attributed to Louis Ferdinand Elle le Père c. 1640

Prepared oil on panel. French school circa 1640 attributed to Louis Ferdinand Elle le Père (1612 - 1689)

With a graceful gesture, an elegant woman opens a soft velvet curtain, revealing a landscape at sunrise. The poetic character of the composition is heightened by the light breeze emanating from the opening, causing the rich fabrics with which this lady is dressed to billow. Her sumptuous toilette is complemented by a bow and quiver, making her a goddess of the hunt. The physiological similarities between our model and the Portrait de Ninon de Lenclos, painted by Louis Elle "le Père" around 1650 (now in the Musée de Versailles), suggest that this may be a representation of this famous courtesan and woman of letters.
If the skill of the portraitist lies in his ability to reveal the spirit of his model, then this painting is a success, so much so does it reflect the intimate character of Ninon de Lenclos (1620 - 1705), whose figuration as Diana conveys the idea of a huntress of hearts. About her, the poet Gédéon Tallemant des Réaux reported that she distinguished her lovers into three classes: "the payers she cared little for, and whom she suffered only until she had enough to do without them", "the martyrs" who had no chance, and "the favorites" who collected her favors. Could the Grand Condé, who was one of them, be the patron of our painting? Although the British novelist Horace Walpole went so far as to nickname her "Notre Dame des Amours", Ninon de Lenclos was more than just a lover. In fact, as early as 1667, she opened a salon for the great minds of her time, including La Fontaine, Racine and Lully.

Attributed to Louis Ferdinand Elle "le Père", our presumed portrait of Ninon de Lenclos can be compared with a group of small oil paintings on panel, of similar format and composition, attributed to him by the Musée du Château de Versailles. Dated between 1640 and 1660, these paintings depict important court figures such as Marshal Abraham Fabert d'Esternay, Charles Paris d'Orléans as Hercules and Jean-Louis Charles d'Orléans as Perseus. From his Flemish origins, Louis Ferdinand Elle retained a certain concern for the representation of materials, to which he imbued relief and brilliance. The rapid flash of white he sketches in his model's eyes lends her a mischievous air that we see again and again in other female portraits he painted (Portrait de Mme de Maintenon et de sa nièce, 1688, preserved at Versailles).

We have chosen to present this delicate portrait in a 17th-century French frame in carved and gilded wood, decorated with acanthus leaves and coiled ribbons.
Dimensions: 33.5 x 25 cm - 48 x 40 cm with frame