Henri Joseph Hesse (1781-1849) - Portrait of the Vicomte de Bournon

HENRI JOSEPH HESSE (1781–1849)
Portrait of the Vicomte de Bournon
Oil on canvas laid down on panel, c. 1830: 21.9 × 17.8 cm
Unsigned
In its giltwood palmette frame: 37 × 32.5 cm
Bears an ink inscription on the reverse of the frame: Mle Vi de Bournon Par Hesse

The Bournon family is notably represented by Jacques-Louis de Bournon (1751–1825), a renowned mineralogist active in both France and England. A light-toned work, "Les Jeunes Femmes ou la Séduction de la nature et de l’art", was published in Paris by Blanchard in 1856 by a Vicomte de Bournon-Ginestoux, who may correspond to the identity of the sitter in this portrait.

Henri-Joseph Hesse (Paris, 31 October 1781 – Paris, 14 August 1849)
Miniaturist and portrait painter

Trained in the decisive context of the late Ancien Régime and the Revolution, Henri-Joseph Hesse belongs to the generation of artists emerging from the studio of Jacques-Louis David. A pupil of Jean-Baptiste Isabey, he very early turned toward portraiture, and more specifically miniature painting, which became the core of his practice.

Exhibiting at the Salon from 1808 to 1833, he was awarded a second-class medal in 1810. His career unfolded without interruption from the Empire through the Restoration. Hesse’s specialization in miniature and portrait painting derives from Isabey’s teaching. He portrayed figures such as Gaspard Monge, Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, and Germaine de Staël, reflecting his integration into diverse political and intellectual circles.

His work is characterized by precise execution, consistent restraint in expression, and sustained attention to markers of rank. Hesse sought neither effect nor interpretation: he captured a presence, within a format and visual language suited to the social functions of portraiture. This position helps explain the stability of his career.

Under the Restoration, he found his most loyal clientele among aristocratic circles and notably benefited from the patronage of the Duchesse de Berry. He thus established himself as a well-regarded portraitist.

Hesse’s work is now held in several public and private collections, including the Louvre, the Musée Condé in Chantilly, and the Fondation Custodia.

Henri-Joseph Hesse was the father of Alexandre Hesse, a pupil of Gros and a recognized history painter, and the brother of Nicolas-Auguste Hesse.