Presumed portrait of JB Dubessy Colonel of the 2nd Dragoon Regiment under the Empire - circa 1815

Early 19th century French school, portrait of an Empire veteran officer, Officer of the Legion of Honor and Chevalier of the Order of Saint Louis. It is presented in its original gilded wood frame with palmettes, from the Restoration period. Our officer wearing the uniform of Lieutenant Colonel of the 2nd Dragoon Regiment under the First Empire (the characteristic uniform, the regiment recognizable by the number 2 on the buttons). Oil on canvas from the Restoration period, the work of a good painter (the facial features and skin tone are very lively, and the man's character is well represented). The painting is unsigned, but is reminiscent of Van Gorp's style and may be attributable to him. Circa 1815-1820.

Our research to identify this officer (subject's age of around 50-60, rank, uniform, decorations received) led us to identify it as a presumed portrait of Jean Baptiste Dubessy (1770 - 1838), a French soldier of the Revolution and Empire. Dubessy spent his entire career in the cavalry as a non-commissioned officer before the Revolution, rising through the ranks during the latter's campaigns. His behavior was honorable during the Terror; appointed to the Army of the West, he spared the lives of 300 women and children whom Carrier had asked him to shoot, by disobeying the barbaric order and having them sent to the interior, thus saving their lives. Captain of Dragoons in 1794, he distinguished himself at the battle of Frankenthal by being wounded in the head, with a horse killed beneath him. Squadron leader in 1801, Major in 1803 with the 30th Dragoons, he was awarded the Légion d'Honneur in 1804. Appointed Second Colonel in 1809, he served in the Spanish campaign until 1813-1814, when he was made an Officer of the Legion of Honor. Under the First Restoration, he was awarded the Cross of Saint Louis in 1814, and took command of the 3rd Dragoons. Under the 100 Days, he took command of the 2nd Dragoons, and retired in 1815.

Henri-Nicolas Van Gorp or Vangorp, born around 1758 in Paris, died August 17, 1820 in Beaumont-sur-Oise (Val-d'Oise), was a French painter and watercolorist specializing in genre scenes. He began his career under the Ancien Régime, and his talent kept him at the forefront under all regimes until his death under the Restoration. Accepted as a pupil at the Académie Royale in June 1773, protected by Étienne Jeaurat, he remained there for a dozen years as a boarder, and became a pupil or fellow student of Louis-Léopold Boilly. He exhibited at the Paris Salon from 1796 until 1819. During the Directoire period, he lived in the rue du Coq-Honoré. He was particularly appreciated as a portraitist. His genre scenes were often reproduced in engravings. There is some confusion between the works of the master and those of his disciple, with Van Gorp even being described as a "Boilly pasticheur" by Paul Marmottan. We humbly disagree. If Boilly's works show a real talent for bringing out the intimate character of the subject, to the point of sometimes seeming like a caricature portrait, Van Gorp's works are characterized by great elegance and meticulousness of detail. The subjects are almost always beautiful, like our officer, whose lively gaze will be appreciated: he's a veteran of the Empire, he lived through its campaigns in his flesh, and it shows.

Excellent condition, painting on its original canvas and in its original frame, in very good original condition, and cleaned by our restorers.

Frame: 72.5cm x 61cm
Canvas: 62cm x 50cm

Ref: R4TSKGTKPG