Isidore Pils (1815–1875) - Portrait of Joseph de Rainneville

Isidore-Alexandre-Auguste PILS
(Paris, 1815 – Douarnenez, 1875)

Portrait of Joseph de Rainneville in papal zouave uniform

Oil on canvas
Signed and dated lower left
67 x 49.5cm
1861

Isidore Alexandre Auguste Pils was born on November 7, 1815, in Paris. He is the son of François Pils and Suzanne Soudais, valet and chambermaid of Marshal Oudinot, Duke of Reggio. He was a student of Picot in 1834. Isidore Pils devoted himself to history and religious painting, after winning the Grand Prix de Rome in 1838. He followed the French troops in Crimea, before being appointed professor of painting. at the École des Beaux-Arts in 1863 and being admitted to the Academy of Fine Arts in 1867.
Author of the famous Rouget de Lisle singing La Marseillaise for the first time at Dietrich's, he participated in the Universal Exhibition of 1867, with La fête given to the Emperor and the Empress in Algiers in 1860. Isidore Pils works with Charles Garnier to the decoration of the main staircase of the Paris Opera. Isidore Pils died on September 3, 1875, in Douarnenez. He was named an officer of the Legion of Honor on June 29, 1917.

Museums: Bordeaux, Chantilly, Compiègne, Dole, Lille, Narbonne, Paris, Strasbourg, Toulouse, London…

Son of Alphonse Vaysse, Viscount of Rainneville, deputy in 1848, and Thérèse de Tardy, Marie-Joseph Vaysse de Rainneville was born on August 7, 1833, in Allonville (Somme). Of three children, he became the only heir to the large family estate upon the death of his father in 1864, his brother Marc having died young and the second, Xavier, being in disgrace in the family. In 1860, he joined the Papal Zouaves. He then participated as aide-de-camp to General de Pimodan, who lost his life, in the disastrous battle of Castelfidardo. He was decorated by the Pope on this occasion. Our portrait was painted shortly after. Elected deputy for the Somme in 1871, he also became general councilor of the canton of Villers-Bocage then senator for the Somme in 1876. He held the position of secretary of the Senate between 1876 and 1879. He retired from political life after his electoral defeat in 1882. Joseph de Rainneville died in Paris on January 29, 1894, and was buried in the Père-Lachaise cemetery. He was a knight of the Legion of Honor.

In our portrait dated 1861, Joseph de Rainneville wears the Vatican medal created by Pius IX on September 12, 1860, under the name of "Pro Petri Sede" medal to honor the survivors of the battle of Castelfidardo during which the small pontifical army of General de Lamoricière was destroyed. Its ribbon is red with two white stripes striped with yellow. He also wears the cross of the Order of Pius IX, an honorary distinction created in 1847, the ribbon of which is blue with a double red border and the medal with eight blue branches bears the words “Virtuti et Merito”.