Lot 138: PIERRE NOËL VIOLET (1749-1819)

Countess de Genlis de St. Aubin (1746-1830), facing left in white dress with blue bodice and blue bows tied at her upper arm, striped gauze scarf tied at corsage, three strand gold necklace, gold-embroidered grey bandeau in her powdered curling hair signed 'P. Violet' (mid-left) oval, 23/4 in. (70 mm.) high, silver-gilt reverbŠre frame with bright cut-border and engraved with the sitter's name within gilt-metal frame with dotted white enamel border NOTES St‚phanie F‚licit‚ Ducrest de St-Aubin lived 84 years under 11 different reigns. A femme du monde and successful writer, she published 104 volumes of Souvenirs. She was the mistress of the Duke of Orl‚ans 'Philippe-galit‚', governess of the future King Louis-Philippe, a friend of Rousseau, Talleyrand, Madame R‚camier, and a rival of Choderlos de Lacos and Madame de Sta‰l. For more information, see Gabriel de Broglie, Madame de Genlis, Paris, 1985.