Lot 116: Portrait of Alexandre Duval, in profile to the right, seated in an armchair

François-Joseph Heim (Belfort 1787-1865 Paris)
Portrait of Alexandre Duval, in profile to the right, seated in an armchair
signed and dated 'heim 1827' and with inscription 'Alexandre Duval' (Académie Francaise)
black and white chalk, on light blue paper
14 7/8 x 10½ in. (378 x 267 mm.)

Alexis Rouart, his collector's mark (not in Lugt).
Duc de Talleyrand; Christie's, Paris, 26 June 2002, lot 62.

This drawing is one of a series of preparatory studies for three group portraits of members of the Institut de France commissioned in 1827 by Vicomte Sosthènes de la Rochefoucauld, head of the Départment des Beaux-Arts for the royal household. The project was abandoned in 1830 owing to the Revolution but many of the preparatory portraits still exist, including 37 in the Louvre (J. Guiffrey and P. Marcel, Inventaire général des dessins de l'école française , Paris, 1911, VI, nos. 4701-37).
Alexandre-Vincent Pineux-Duval, called Alexandre Duval (1767-1842) was a French actor and playwriter. Brother of the painter Amaury-Duval, he is the author of more than sixty plays and was director of the Théâtre de l'Odéon between 1810-15. He was elected at the Académie française in 1812.