8783

Study portrait

Antoine XII-Armand de Gramont, styled duc de Guiche 1909

Half-length in profile to the left, his head turned and looking towards the viewer, wearing military uniform and a dark blue coat and a peaked cap trimmed with gold and red braid, his left hand on his hip

Oil on board, 68.9 x 48.3 cm (27 ⅛ x 19 in.)

Inscribed lower left: Mon [sic] dernière / cartouche / Paris 909 15 Juin / P.A. László^[1] 

Private Collection

The meaning of de László’s inscription remains unclear, and certainly alludes to a private joke: the French word “cartouche” can refer to a bullet or a cartridge, but in a metaphoric way, this could refer to de László running out of material, or giving his best shot. One would be inclined to think that this last assumption is the most likely, as this study portrait remained unfinished and surely failed to satisfy the artist.

For biographical notes on the sitter, see [11801].

PROVENANCE:          

By descent in the family

CC 2008