French artist Jean-Baptiste Isabey, like Max Ernst; is another artist who has both happy and sad anniversaries during the month of April.  Isabey was born in Nancy, France, on 11 April 1767; and died on 18 April, 1855. At the age of nineteen, after some lessons from the French miniature painter and artist to Marie Antoinette, Dumont; Isabey became a pupil of Jacques-Louis David.

• Employed at the Palace of Versailles, Isabey worked on portraits of the Dukes of Angoulême and Berry.

His portrait of Napoleon at Malmaison is held to be the best ever executed and even his tiny head of the king of Rome, painted for a breast-pin, is distinguished by a decision and breadth that show the hand of a master

• Above featured is: “Madame Feydeau” watercolor on paper (1823) 13.4cm London from the collection of the late Sir Charles Clore.

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