Hortense Haudebourt-Lescot (1784-1845) Scène de... Lot 25

Hortense Haudebourt-Lescot (1784-1845) Scène de l'Inquisition Oil on canvas signed lower right 32.5 x 40.5 cm Hortense Haudebourt-Lescot, a French painter, was a pupil of the neoclassical painter Guillaume Guillon-Lethière. Following her master to Rome, when he was appointed director of the Académie de France, she stayed at the Villa Medici. At the time, the Prix de Rome was not yet open to women (it would be in 1903), making her presence at the Villa Médicis particularly exceptional. She made her debut at the Paris Salon in 1810, where she was awarded a medal. Dividing her time between Rome and Paris, she became the official painter of Marie-Caroline de Bourbon-Siciles, Duchesse de Berry. The influence of her sojourns in Italy is deeply reflected in her work. She was inspired by the picturesque life of the Neapolitan people. Her varied output also includes genre and historical scenes, inspired by popular literature. In 1837, King Louis-Philippe commissioned a painting from her for the Musée Historique de Versailles, followed by a second the following year. Hortense Haudebourt-Lescot ran a studio for women. Her pupils included artists such as Marie-Ernestine Serret and Herminie Déhérain. Her works can be found in many French museums, including the Louvre, the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen, the Musée des Beaux-Arts d'Angers... (MLD)