ENTOURAGE DE LOUIS FERDINAND ELLE (Paris, 1612... Lot 42

ENTOURAGE DE LOUIS FERDINAND ELLE (Paris, 1612 - 1689) FRENCH SCHOOL circa 1650 Portrait of a lady with dogs. Height 173 cm, width 96 cm. (Old restorations). Provenance: Touraine collection. A French 17th century portrait of a lady with her dog by a member of Louis Ferdinand Elle's entourage. Canvas. Cardinal Mazarin's nieces are identified on several occasions as posing as our Lady in Diana the Huntress, in identical attire and wearing the same luxurious red and white ostrich feathers. A portrait of Hortense attributed to Gascard (from the former collections of the Metropolitan Museum, Sotheby's sale, Paris, June 25, 2008 n°41), another of Laure, duchess of Mercœur as Minerva (private collection, France) and the last one of Olympe, countess of Soissons as Athena attributed to Mignard (whereabouts unknown) testify to this. The presence of two Cavaliers King Charles Spaniel, so named in honour of Charles II England, points to Hortense Mancini. The prince and future king asked for her hand in 1659, a hand that Cardinal Mazarin refused, wanting to avoid a misalliance. The duchess finally found refuge in the arms of this royal lover in 1675, after having fled France and her overly jealous husband.