Jean Daniel Welper, nach Nattier

Charlotte-Elisabeth Godefries de Rohan-Soubise and Louis-Joseph de Bourbon,

Charlotte-Elisabeth Godefried de Rohan-Soubise (1737-1760) and Louis-Joseph de Bourbon, Prince of Condé (1736-1818), could recently be identified in Welper`s double portrait by comparing it with pictures created by the French portraitist Jean-Marc Nattier - and even more: whereas different imitations of the portrait of the gentleman painted by Nattier exist, his portrait of the lady was not known until now, as it is supposed to be lost. In so far it is possible to supplement the work of Nattier with the help of this miniature. As these miniatures belong to the few which have been signed by Jean Daniel Welper and which therefore can serve as reference for further ascriptions, they also play a key role in his own work. According to the type of the representative portrait, the presented persons are shown in a gala dress, which contrasts strangely with their tender, still childlike features. The young prince, the only son of the Duke Louis Henri de Bourbon and the Princess Karoline of Hessen-Rheinfels, was a special favourite of King Louis XV. Being appointed grand master of the Royal Court at the age of fifteen, he entered the army at the age of twenty in order to participate in the Seven Years' War.

¹ Vgl. die Kopie des Herrenbildnisses in Versailles, Inv.-Nr. MV 4464 (abgebildet in: Xavier Salmon, Jean-Marc Nattier. Ausstellung in Versailles vom 26.10.1999 bis 31.01.2000, Paris 1999, S. 250, Abb. 7). Von der Dame gibt es ein Gemälde von Jean-Marie Ribou, worin die Ähnlichkeit mit Welpers Portrait auffällt. Vgl. Salmon, Jean-Marc Nattier, a. a. O., S. 250, Abb. 8.