Eduardo Larochete (Spanish, 19th Century)
Portrait of a Count, Full-Length, Decorated with a Knighthood in the Order of Saint Ferdinand, 1857
oil on canvas
signed and dated E. La-Rochette /  septiembre de 1857 (lower left)
90 x 58 inches.
This lot is located in Chicago.

Note:
This painting shows a Spanish Count who was a member of the court of Queen Isabella II. To the sitter's proper-right is a bust of the reigning monarch and to his proper-left is a depiction of the Count's family crest surmounted by the Heraldic Crown of Spanish Counts. That the same crown motif is replicated in the frame decoration suggests that the present frame is original to the painting. The adornments on the sitter's regalia include a Knighthood in the Order of St. Ferdinand, the Grand Cross of the Royal and Military Order of St. Hermenegildo and the Grand Cross 1st class in the Order of Isabella the Catholic.

Madrid-born artist Eduardo Larochete studied at The Academia de San Fernando de Bellas Artes in Madrid before moving to Paris to study under Jean François Gigoux (1806-1894). He later returned to Madrid as a portrait painter.

Sturdy, well-conserved, hangable condition. The canvas is lined. There is a large repaired hole with overpainting in the bottom right quadrant of the canvas. The hole is probably patched on the back of the original canvas between it and the lining canvas; the patch is not visible from the back of the work, but there is a darked area probably caused by overpainting (wetness) once the hole was patched. In 2012 the painting was professionally cleaned in Cincinnati by a former curator at the Taft Museum of Art. In 2007 the frame was professionally restored and re-gilded in 22K gold leaf in Houston. The frame is both giltwood and areas of sculpted gesso. A few age cracks in the frame and areas of the gesso exposed or splitting (minor). With a custom solid wood moving crate. Please request a complete condition report.Condition reports are available upon request. All lots are sold "as is," in the condition they are in at the time of the auction. The physical condition of lots can vary due to age, normal wear and tear, previous damage, and restoration. Prospective buyers are strongly advised to inspect a lot personally or through a knowledgeable representative prior to bidding. The absence of any reference to the condition of a lot does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections, or the effects of aging. Prospective buyers must review and agree to the Conditions of Sale before participating in an auction, and it is the responsibility of the buyer to ensure that they have requested, received and considered any condition report.