Andrew de Visme (1718-1779), marchand huguenot, St Margaret, Lothbury, Londres, vraisemblablement donné à l'un de ses frères;
Christie's Londres, 8 décembre 2011, lot 138.

The de Visme family were Huguenots. Two brothers, Peter and Philippe de Visme emigrated to England in the late 17th century. The younger, Philippe (1687-1763), was the father of Andrew de Visme (1718-1779). Although the family long claimed descent from the Barons de Visme they were never able to provide documentation to support their claim, notwithstanding their inclusion in Burke's A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland Enjoying Territorial Possessions or High Official Rank; But Uninvested with Heritable Honours, vol. IV, 1838, pp. 320-322. Andrew was a London merchant with a house in the parish of St Margaret, Lothbu✃ry and a country house to which he refers in his will proved on 19 July 1779 (PROB 11/1055). He married Ann Webb in 1742. He died in 1779 and she in 1805. He was one of eight sons and six daughters of Philippe and his wife Marianne.

André Rouquet (1701-1758) was a portrait miniaturist who was born in Geneva but moved to London aged 21, where he would spend around 30 years of his working life. He was a fierce advocate for the works of William Hogarth, publishing explanations of his works in French to foster a greater appreciation for his talent outside of England. A miniature portrait of Hogarth by Rouquet can be found at the National Portrait Gallery, accession number 5717. Aside from his miniatures, Rouquet is best known for a book he published in 1755 called L’État des Arts en Angleterre. Indeed, Diderot quotes from this work directly in his 1751-1772 Encyclopédie under the entry for enamel, specifically the passage in which Rouquet argues that the medium is best suited for works on a miniature scale. On returning to France, Rouquet was made a member of the Académie Royale de la Peinture et de la Sculpture in 1754.