JOHANN JULIUS HEINSIUS (1740-1812)

Marie-Adélaide de France / Madame Adélaide (1784)

Oil on canvas: 135 x 105 cm

Private collection

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The author of this beautiful portrait was a German called Johann Julius Heintz or Heinse; however, like many of his contemporaries and perhaps out of pretentiousness, he chose to Latinize his surname and became known as “Heinsius”. He had an elder brother who also became a painter, he was Johann Ernst Heinsius (1731-1794). Both brothers became portraitists, although Ernst was also known for his decorative paintings that embellished the palaces of the nobility in the dukedom of Saxe-Weimar. While Ernst remained in Germany and had a rather successful career although dogged by illnesses and debt, Julius went to the Netherlands in 1759 where he became a member of the Painters´Guild at The Hague. He finally settled in France in 1779 where he would remain until his death in 1812. Because of their very different careers both brothers were called “The German and the French Heinsius” by the German scholar Werner Schneiders (1) who dedicated an article to analize their careers and style. Because of their very similar style and almost similar names, is very difficult to distinguish their works. To make things worse Julius, who at the beginning of his career signed his paintings as “J.J.Heinsius” later simply signed them “JC” or simply “Heinsius”; this explains why in 1913 Charles Oulmont (1883-1984) wrote a monography about Julius but, for some reason, called him Ernst (2)

According to the records, Johann Julius Heintz portrayed two of King Louis XV´s eight daughters; Princesses Adélaide and Victoire, known as “Mesdames Adélaide et Victoire”, these portraits were painted over four years between 1784 and 1788. The beautiful portrait reproduced here was signed and dated “Heinsius pinxit/1784” (Heinsius painted it/1784) therefore Marie-Adélaide was 64 years old when Heintz portrayed her. If we compare his portrait with the one painted three years later by Adélaide Labille-Guiard (1749-1803) we can assume that the German painter did not idealize her. Unfortunately, I could not find any information regarding the Princess´opinion about the portrait; although, knowing her arrogant character that led her to reject two princely suitors (Louis François de Bourbon, Prince de Conti and Prince Franz Xavier of Saxony) because, in her eyes, they were not illustrious enough to marry the daughter of the King of France, we may believe she was satisfied with the commanding regal demeanour that Heintz gave her.

The painting was sold by the gallery Alexis Bordes in May 2018 and is now in a private collection. According to the gallery the portrait was given by Madame Adélaide to her chaplain Marie-Joseph Green de Saint Marsault, bishop of Pergamum, as a token of her friendship. The portrait remained in the posession of the Saint Marsault family until 1913. There is another version painted a year later, signed and dated, which is at the chateau of Versailles (Inventory No. MV-3957). The painting is either in a fairly bad condition or the photographic reproduction is very poor. I tried to improve it but there was little I could do.

(1) Werner Schneiders: « Der deutsche und der französische Heinsius : Fragen an ein Porträt des 18. Jahrhunderts », Das Achtzehnte Jahrhundert: Zeitschrift der Deutschen Gesellschaft für die Erforschung des achtzehnten Jahrhunderts, vol. 23, no 1,‎ 1999, p. 79.

(2) Charles Oulmont:  “J.-E. Heinsius, 1740-1812, peintre des Mesdames de France” Paris, Hachette, 1913