Suzanne de la Reynière, by Quentin de la Tour

Suzanne de Jarente de la Reynière (1736–1815) was an ancestor of Caroline Costaz-Onslow, the sister-in-law of Henriette Onslow, wife of Joseph de Pierre and co-owners of the Château d’Aulteribe. Her mother, Marguerite Alexandrine d’Ourches (born in 1783), married Baron d’Empire Costaz (1767–1842) and it is to her grandmother, Maximilienne Félicité de Baudot de Sainenneville, Countess of Ourches, that this portrait relates. The Countess of Ourches had the honour of being introduced to Their Majesties and the Royal Family by the Marquise de Beausset. Her marriage contract was also signed by Their Majesties and the Royal Family. During the Reign of Terror, the Countess of Ourches lived at 8 Rue des Champs-Élysées in 1794, before being arrested along with her aunt, Suzanne de Jarente, who was hosting her. This portrait bears witness to the family ties between Caroline Costaz-Onslow’s grandmother and Suzanne de Jarente.

Suzanne de Jarente married the financier Laurent Grimod de La Reynière (1734–1793) in 1758; he served as farmer-general from 1754 to 1780. Suzanne de Jarente enabled Laurent Grimod de La Reynière to rise in society: she was an aristocrat , daughter of the Marquis d’Orgeval and niece of Louis Sextius Jarente de La Bruyère, Bishop of Orléans. The Countess of Genlis describes her thus in her Memoirs: ‘She was a person […] rather flighty, very annoyed at not being married at court, yet beautiful, obliging and polite; she was always complaining about her health, yet never complained about anyone else […] I realised that almost all the ladies at court […] were, deep down, jealous of Madame de La Reynière’s beauty, the extreme splendour of her household and the rich elegance of her attire” (quoted by Gustave Desnoiresterres, *Grimod de La Reynière et son groupe*, Paris , 1877, pp. 10–11). Her great beauty was immortalised by Jean-Baptiste Nini (1717–1786), who created a profile portrait of her in terracotta and bronze, which can be found in numerous public and private collections.

The pastel portrait held at Aulteribe is a work of rare quality. The name of Jean Valade (1709–1787) has been suggested as the artist of this portrait, as has that of Maurice Quentin de La Tour. The fact that a member of his in-laws’ family, Antoine Gaspard Grimod de La Reynière (1690–1756), had his portrait painted by Maurice Quentin de La Tour lends credence to this hypothesis. Xavier Salmon sides with this attribution in his exhibition catalogue dedicated to the artist.

Maurice Quentin de La Tour’s style is indeed very distinctive: the subject is placed in full light, but in such a way as to soften any imperfections. Often, the corners of the lips are turned up to suggest a smile. The gaze is always direct and the skin tones subtle in their hues and nuances. Here, a particular eroticism emanates from the bare right shoulder, highlighting the delicate, rounded flesh formed by a bent arm.

Gustave Desnoiresterres, Grimod de La Reynière and his circle: based on previously unpublished documents, Paris , 1877.

Christine Debrie, Xavier Salmon,Maurice-Quentin de La Tour: Prince of Pastellists, Somogy, 2000, p. 144.