Picot François Édouard (Paris 1786/1868) - Lot 294

Picot François Édouard (Paris 1786/1868) Portrait of General Antoine Louis Regnault (1788/1856), in uniform, mid-body, as a July Monarchy brigadier general, signed lower left: "Picot - a son ami Regnault - 1846"; he wears in saltire the Commander's Cross of the Order of the Legion of Honor and, on his left breast, the Cross of the Order of Saint-Louis and the Officer's Cross of the Order of Saint-Ferdinand of Spain given to French officers who took part in the Spanish Expedition in 1823; on his right, we can see his bicorne; in its original gilded frame; 92 x 73.5 cm. Louis-Philippe period. Very good condition. François Joseph PICOT received his initial training from the painter Léonce MÉRIMÉE before entering the studio of VINCENT'S STUDIO. In 1813, he went to Rome and won second prize. On his return to Paris, he took part in the Salon for the first time, exhibiting his Amour et psyche (Paris, Musée du Louvre), painted in Rome in 1817. This painting, purchased by the Duc d'Orléans, marks the start of a brilliant career. Until 1839, he exhibited his history, genre and portrait paintings regularly at the Salon. At the request of Louis-Philippe, he produced several paintings for the historical galleries at Versailles. He also worked on decorations for Parisian churches... Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur, in 1825; Officer, in 1852; elected member of the Institut in 1836. Antoine Louis RÉGNAULT was the eldest son of the painter Jean-Baptiste RÉGNAULT (1754/1829), whose family we know from a series of intimate, elegant portraits he painted himself. Antoine Louis began a long military career under the First Empire, taking part in the Prussian and Polish campaigns in 1806 and 1807; he was wounded at Eylau, then in the Spanish and German campaigns; he was awarded the Légion d'honneur in 1814. After a few months' retirement, he rejoined the army in January 1815, under the government of Louis XVIII; aide-de-camp to General ABBÉ, during the Hundred Days period; placed on leave again in September 1815, and quickly returned to service in June 1816, with the post of major of the Haute-Marne legion. In 1823, he left to support the restoration of the Spanish monarchy, then in 1831 supported Louis-Philippe in Belgium. He took part in the Ancona expedition in 1832 and 1838, before finally retiring in 1843 as marshal de camp, then brigadier general. Our painting, dated 1846, is dedicated by PICOT to his model, whom he represents at the end of a brilliant military career. We know of another portrait of Antoine Louis RÉGNAULT, in military costume, this time by his father, Baron Jean-Baptiste RÉGNAULT, probably painted around 1814/1815, in which he is depicted as a younger aide-decamp to a division general.