Two of the Holyrood portraits by Edouart were exhibited at the Amateur Art Society’s Exhibition in 1902, by Miss Head. They were thus described in the Catalogue:—
“119. Duchesse de Berri and her children (Henry V. and the Duchesse de Parma) at Holyrood, by Edouart.”
“120. Henry V. and the Duchesse de Parma as children at Holyrood.”
In the recently discovered folios which belonged to Edouart himself, and which serve as an invaluable record of the entourage of Charles X. at Holyrood, very many of these likenesses appear; most of them have the original autograph of the sitter. From the wonderfully interesting groups of shadows we see the vie intime of the exiled king. He is surrounded by his children, his chamberlains and equerries, intimate friends, physicians (for body and soul). Even L’Abbé Focart, Confesseur du Roi, figures amongst them; and visitors to Holyrood, such as the Baron de Size and the Baron de Sepmanville, are included; besides the dogs and horses, the ponies of the children, and the toys and playthings with which they amused themselves in those days of exile.
Even when such success rewarded the efforts of Edouart, he is still in apologetic mood with regard to his art, and declares that if his work had not been good the French Royal Family would not have encouraged it. “They had seen a great quantity of those common (machine-made) black shades in Paris, and had also a great dislike to them, which was soon removed when they saw the nature of mine.” He is never able to refrain from a sneer at the other silhouettists.
In December, 1831, the Glasgow Free Press declares that “Monsieur E.’s rooms need only to be known to become a fashionable resort for lovers of the fine arts.” The hair models seem to have formed part of the exhibition.
In October, 1832, Edouart is still in Glasgow, and his likenesses now number 45,000, including the Orphan Asylum and all its managers, the directors of the Commercial Bank, and several others. In London he took 800 members of the Stock Exchange, of which he sold several books.
PORTRAIT OF LORD MANSFIELD
Painted on glass by A. Forberger, Paris