Watercolor portrait of Princess Eleanor of Mantua by Emile Bourquelot, 19th century
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Watercolor representing the portrait of Princess Eleanor of Mantua* as a young child, after the painting by Franz Pourbus** kept in the Palatine Gallery in Florence, who would become the wife of Emperor Ferdinand II, given by Emile Bourquelot***, in a giltwood frame, from the 19th century.
This watercolor is in good condition, as is its frame; it is under glass. There is a handwritten annotation on the back, notably indicating its provenance: "Given by Emile Bourquelot in memory of his brother Félix."
*** Emile Bourquelot (1824-1896) was deputy mayor, librarian, and curator of the Provins city museum. His brother Félix (1815-1868) was a French historian. Both Félix and Emile Bourquelot dedicated themselves to developing the collections and knowledge of Provins' history. They bequeathed their entire personal libraries and papers to the Provins library.
Please note: there are some minor damage and missing parts on the frame, wear and tear from age, see photos.
Eleanor of Aquitaine was Empress of the Holy Roman Empire, Queen of Germany, Bohemia, and Hungary, and Archduchess of Austria through her marriage to Ferdinand II of Habsburg in 1622. She was the youngest daughter of Vincenzo I Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua, and his wife, Eleanor de' Medici, herself the elder sister of Marie, Queen of France. On February 2, 1622, she married Emperor Ferdinand II in Innsbruck. Ferdinand II had been widowed since 1616 after the death of Maria Anna of Bavaria. Because some of the emperor's advisors opposed the union, the Gonzaga family gained nothing from the marriage, and in 1630, during the War of the Mantuan Succession, imperial troops captured and ravaged the Italian city.
He was a Flemish painter. Son of Frans Pourbus the Elder and grandson of Pieter Pourbus the Elder and Cornelis Floris de Vriendt, he began a brilliant artistic career painting portraits for the local bourgeoisie. He was then invited to the court of Brussels to paint portraits of Archduke Albert and the Infanta Isabella. His ability to depict the splendor and glory of his aristocratic clients earned him an excellent reputation. He was invited to become the portrait painter to the court of Duke Gonzaga of Mantua (1600-1609), and later to the French court, including that of Marie de Medici. While he is best known as a portraitist, he also painted historical and mythological subjects.