Louis Carrogis de Carmontelle;
his sale, Paris, 17 April 1807, part of lot 22;
Chevalier Richard de Lédans,
his sale, Paris, 3 November 1816;
Pierre de La Mésangère,
his sale, Paris, 18 July 1831, part of lot 304,
purchased by John Duff

Laid down on mount. Overall in fairly reasonable condition. Some light brown staining a the upper margin and at the right margin. Otherwise chalk remains fresh and vibrant.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This charming and characteristic portrait was part of a series which Carmontelle drew during his time at the court of the Duc d'Orléans.  Carmontelle entered the service of Louis Philippe, Duc d'Orléans, in 1759 and enjoyed a buoyant career there, organizing official entertainments and later also becoming a garden designer, creating what is now the Parc Monceau.

Over the course of some 34 years, Carmontelle made more than 750 portraits of the Orléans family, their court, and other friends and acquaintances, which were bound in eleven albums.  The majority of the sitters were drawn full length and in profile, as here.  He drew the portraits mainly for himself and would only produce replicas on request.

At the end of his life, Carmontelle gave the names of all the sitters in his portraits to his great friend Richard de Lédans who compiled a manuscript list, now in the museum at Chantilly, where there are 570 portraits from the original group.  The albums remained intact until in the possession of Pierre de La Mésangère, who disman♒tled them and mounted each drawing on a distinctive green mount, the remains of which can be seen around the edges of the present sheet.

From an inscription on the back of mount we learn that the sitter depicted in♚ this drawing was a ꧋Captain of Dragoons, possible Mr Tourempré.