Lot 65: LOUIS-MARIE AUTISSIER (FRANCO-BELGIAN, 1772-1830)

Armand Louis de Broc (1772-1810), Aide-de-camp to King Louis of Holland in Major-General's uniform with gold-embroidered lapels, scarlet collar and epaulettes, black stock, gold aiguillettes, blue sash, badge and breast-star of the Grand Cross of the Royal Dutch Order of the Union, and the red ribbon and badge of the Imperial French Order of the Legion of Honour, short curled hair and sideburns
signed 'Autissier' (mid-left)
oval, 2 1/4 in. (57 mm.) high, rectangular gilt-metal frame

Brussels, Kredietbank Gallery, Autissier et le Portrait Miniature Romantique en Belgique, 1998, no. 15, illustrated in colour p. 39.

H.H. Prince Zourab Tchkotoua; Sotheby's, London, 20 December 1971, lot 30 (£200 to Schidlof).
with Galerie Kugel, Paris, 2000.

Armand Louis de Broc was born in Vernoil-le-Fourier, France in 1772. He embarked upon an international military career and served in the French, Dutch and English Armies. In June 1804 he was made Aide-de-camp to Louis Bonaparte, whom he followed to Holland, and became a Major-General in the Dutch Army. He was awarded the Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Union and became an Officer, then Commander, of the Legion of Honour. He was also bestowed with the Grand Cross of the Spanish Order of Charles III and was made a Knight of the Order of St. Hubertus of Bavaria. De Broc commanded the second division Dragoons of the Italian army in the Battle of Montebello in 1809 and was severely wounded by a bullet in the head. He died in Milan in 1810 as a Baron of the Empire.

The sitter's uniform of the Imperial Army was introduced on 1 March 1807, a year after Autissier became official court painter to King Louis.

We are grateful to Ronald Pawly and Karen Schaffers-Bodenhausen for their help with the identification of the sitter and their help with this catalogue entry.

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