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French boys clothes : Aristocratic French Family: Gabriel de Froment, Baron de Castille (1822-25)
Aristocratic French Family: Gabriel de Froment, Baron de Castille (1822-25)
Figure 1.-- Gabriel de Froment, Baron de Castille was born into the minor French nobility, albeit with a long history. The Baron managed to navigate the French Revolutionn (1789), a very dangerous time for aristocrats. He seems to have prospred during the Napoleonic era (1800-15) as well as the Bourbon Restoration (1814- . He married the Princess Hermine Aline Dorothée de Rohan (1785-1843) 38 years his junior during the Napoleonic era (1809). By the time this portrait was painted (1825), the Baron was 80 years old and lived in fairy-tale like castle. Notice the portraits of the fmily on the wall in the backgriund. Some of their children included: Marie Louise Taldérie Thérèse Meriadec de Froment (1811), Gabriel-Joseph de Froment-Fromentes, baron de Castille (1818), and Charlotte Louise Constance de Froment de Castille. The children were mostly girls. They wear empire dresses with baloon sleeves. The boy wears a classic skeleton suit with frilly collar. We thought that the fashions, especoally his knee breeches suggested a somewhat early time, but give his aristocratic position perhaps the clothing was somewhat conservative. The Baron died a year after the portrait was painted.
This French family portrait was painted by an unknown French arist, a competent but hardly not brilliant artist even though the Baron was reportedly rich. Gabriel de Froment, Baron de Castille, was reportedly born in a modest house in Uzès (1747). Uzès is a commune in the Gard department of southern France with a history dating back to the Galic (Celtic)-Roman times. It is located about 25 km north-northeast of Nîmes. His parents were Gabriël Joseph de Froment Baron van Castille en Argilliers (????-1773) and Maria Constance van la Vergne de Tressan. The Baron's family was of the minor French nobility, albeit with a long history. They did not have a family fortune or important family connections. The Baron was, however, enormously succeesful in life, although we do not have the details of his sucess. He managed to navigate the French Revolutionn (1789), a very dangerous time for aristocrats. He seems to have prospred during the Napoleonic era (1800-15) as well as the Bourbon Restoration (1814). He married the Princess Hermine Aline Dorothée de Rohan (1785-1843) 38 years his junior during the Napoleonic era (1809). Rohan is a commune in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France. home to the House of Rohan. Family members included viscounts, dukes and princes who had a prominent role in French history. By the time this portrait was painted (1825), the Baron was 80 years old and lived in fairy-tale like castle. The Baron and his young wife are depicted along with the children. There is another young woman depicted. We do not know who she is perhaps a sister of th mother. We do not have a complete list of the children. Some of their children included: Marie Louise Taldérie Thérèse Meriadec de Froment (1811), Gabriel-Joseph de Froment-Fromentes, baron de Castille (1818), and Charlotte Louise Constance de Froment de Castille. Joseph's age calls the 1825 date of the portrait into question, suggesting alightly earlier date, perhaps 1922. Mother is nursing a baby. We are not sure how common this was. We are fairly sure that this was commonly shown in non-religious art--the baby Jesus being so commonly depicted in religious art. Rich people commonly hired nurse maids to do this. The French Revolution may have changed attitudes. The painting of course depicts a private scene, but a portrait like this one probably was be placed in a prominant room of the palace where guests could see the whole family. The six children were mostly girls. They wear empire dresses with baloon sleeves and orange waist bands. The girls are all dressed alike. weare not sure how common this was at the time or the social class conventions. The boy wears a classic skeleton suit with frilly collar. Note that is a bright color, yellow. The girls, however, all wear grey dresses. We thought that the fashions, especially his knee breeches suggested a somewhat early time, but give his aristocratic position perhaps the clothing was somewhat conservative. The Baron died a year after the portrait was painted (1826).
The Artist
This French family portrait was painted by an unknown French arist, a competent but hardly not brilliant artist even though the Baron was reportedly rich.
The Baron
Gabriel de Froment, Baron de Castille, was reportedly born in a modest house in Uzès (1747). Uzès is a commune in the Gard department of southern France with a history dating back to the Galic (Celtic)-Roman times. It is located about 25 km north-northeast of Nîmes. His parents were Gabriël Joseph de Froment Baron van Castille en Argilliers (17??-1773) and Maria Constance van la Vergne de Tressan. The Baron's family was of the minor French nobility, albeit with a long history. They did not have a family fortune or important family connections. The Baron was, however, enormously succeesful in life, although we do not have the details of his sucess. He managed to navigate the French Revolutionn (1789), a very dangerous time for aristocrats. He was not targeted by the Reign iof Terrir. He seems to have prospred during the Napoleonic era (1800-15) as well as the Bourbon Restoration (1814).
The Princess
The Baeib married the Princess Hermine Aline Dorothée de Rohan (1785-1843) 38 years his junior during the Napoleonic era (1809). Rohan is a commune in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France. home to the House of Rohan.
Family Members
Family members included viscounts, dukes and princes who had a prominent role in French history.
The Portrait
By the time this portrait was painted (1825), the Baron was 80 years old and lived in fairy-tale like castle. The Baron and his young wife are depicted along with the children. There is another young woman depicted. We do not know who she is perhaps a sister of themother. A reader believes she is the wet nurse--see below. We do not have a complete list of the children. Some of their children included: Marie Louise Taldérie Thérèse Meriadec de Froment (1811), Gabriel-Joseph de Froment-Fromentes, baron de Castille (1818), and Charlotte Louise Constance de Froment de Castille. Joseph's age calls the 1825 date of the portrait into question, suggesting alightly earlier date, perhaps 1922. Who we thought was the mother is nursing a baby. We are not sure how common this was. Wealthy people at the time still hired wet nursess. We are fairly sure that a mother and child was commonly shown in non-religious art--the baby Jesus being so commonly depicted in religious art. Wet do not note wer nurses being peominenbtly depicted. Rich people commonly hired nurse maids to do this. The French Revolution may have changed attitudes. The painting of course depicts a private scene, but a portrait like this one probably was placed in a prominant room of the palace where guests could see the whole family. The six children were mostly girls. They wear empire dresses with baloon sleeves and orange waist bands. The girls are all dressed alike. weare not sure how common this was at the time or the social class conventions. The boy wears a classic skeleton suit with frilly collar. Note that is a bright color, yellow. The girls, however, all wear grey dresses. Only theolder bwoman wears a white wmpire dress. We thought that the fashions, especially the Baron's his knee breeches suggested a somewhat early time, but give his aristocratic position perhaps the clothing was somewhat conservative. The Baron died a year after the portrait was painted (1826).
Wet Nurses
A wet nurse is a woman who breast feeds and cares for another's woinan's child. It was a long established concention for wealthy women of a high socila status. There were other instances where wet nurses were used. They in the days before safe drunkung water vabd baby foirmka were available. They were found if the mother died, or if she is unable for a varietyniof reasons to nurse a new-born baby. In the American South, slaves were connomnly used as wr burses before the Civuil War (1861-65). Wer nirses were doiund for Queen Victiria;s children (1840s-50s).
A HBC reader believes that the lady in the blue dress, setting herself off from the family, is a wet nurse. She writes, " I was interested to read one of the comments, relating to the group-portrait of the de Castille family of Uzes, making the assumption that this was an instance of a Lady feeding her own child - AND in public!
I think you will find that the woman in question is NOT the mother of the child : she is, quite literally, its (wet-) nurse - & clearly younger than the Baronne (well past forty at that time..) who, seated close beside her, leans so encouragingly & affectionately towards her.
It would be rare, indeed, at that date, for a Lady of Quality to suckle her own infant: and impractical, for all kinds of reasons, once she was resuming social life after the birth. Up to that point, though it was still uncommon, a lady MIGHT have fed her child - but only just at first: and in strict privacy!
The wet nurse, however, would have been very carefully selected; well-fed, well looked after - & her OWN child, who had given rise to the necessary milk! suitably accommodated. The REALLY unusual thing featured in this picture is the esteem & respect displayed to the Nurse ( herself evidently of gentlewoman's status - though simply dressed - as befitting this noble household ) - and obvious affection. She is seen as a member of the family group, and being entertained among them in the Salon: not only that, she is included, prominently, in a specially-commissioned group portrait! That she is shown in the act of feeding the child ( which, in reality, probably DIDN'T take place normally in the Salon) underlines, publicly, her honoured place in the Family.
Such being the case, I wonder if it might be possible (from letters, household accounts, or such) to identify this lady? She might have had other well-established connections with the family: and had she perhaps nursed others of the children, also? Given that, chronologically, this child was likely to be the last-born of La Baronne (& Le Baron died the year after this picture was painted..), perhaps the portrait was commissioned specially as a celebration of the BIRTH of this baby - while celebrating also the Baron's 80th BIRTHDAY ? - AND the noble couple's joint fecundity!
I hope that this is of use - if only in suggesting the occasion of the Picture." [Bird] Oue reader being up an imporant point and may well be correct. The ome reservation we have is that we are not sure hoiw common it was ro include a wet nurse in a prestigious family portrait like this.
