Fanny Grimaldi, widowed, is aroused by love for her late husband's younger brother. Engraving by P. Bettelini, 1806, after P. Ermini after F.-X. Fabre, 1804.

  • Fabre, François-Xavier, baron, 1766-1837.
Date:
[1806?]
Reference:
646938i
  • Pictures
  • Online

Selected images from this work

View 1 image

About this work

Description

Fanny de Birkenwald (Marie Françoise Wilhelmine Cécile Jacinthe Colette Ferdinande Dupré de Dortal de Birkenwald) married the Marquis Giovanni Battista Grimaldi Monaco. He died in Paris on 4 February 1803. She then became engaged to his younger brother, Don Luigi Grimaldi, but then she herself died on 6 February 1804, a year and two days after her husband. Don Luigi then commissioned from Fabre a portrait of himself, and a matching posthumous portrait of his late fiancée with the tomb of her deceased husband (the source of the present engraving). The two paintings were at some time published and offered for sale by Richard Feigen, New York City; subsequently offered for sale at Sotheby's, New York, 5 June 2014, Old Master Paintings, lot 49, and Sotheby's, New York, 4 June 2020, Old Masters, lot 125

Publication/Creation

[Florence] : Nicolò Pagni, [1806?] ([Florence?] : Niccola d'Antonii imprese)

Physical description

1 print : engraving ; platemark 50.9 x 37.3 cm

Lettering

La Marchesa Fanny Grimaldi Monaco di Genova, nata Baronessa di Bürckenwald, Dama della Croce Stellata. Cupido Fanniam coniugis, ante diem rapti desiderio tabescentem, nova cura sollicitat. ... F. Xaverio Fabre dipinse ; Pietro Ermini disegnò ; Pietro Bettelini incise Roma 1806 The tomb in the right background is inscribed "Gio. Bat. Grimaldi della Pietra MDCCCIII"

References note

William Schupbach, 'Spotlight: the tragic life of Fanny Grimaldi', Wellcome Library blog, 5 August 2014, archived at https://wayback.archive-it.org/16107/20210313002023/http://blog.wellcomelibrary.org/2014/08/spotlight-the-tragic-life-of-fanny-grimaldi/

Reference

Wellcome Collection 646938i

Reproduction note

After a painting that, with its pair representing Don Luigi, changed hands several times before it was acquired by the Musée Fabre, Montpellier in 2021 ('Recent acquisitions, Musée Fabre, Montpellier (2004-2022), The Burlington magazine December 2022, pp. 1305-1324, pp. 1314-1315)

Languages

Where to find it

  • LocationStatusAccess
    Closed stores

Permanent link