Xavier de Poret, a 20th-century animal painter, is one of the favourite designers of the Carrés Hermès collectors.
Les Huppes (lot 90 vente du 15 décembre 2021)
Nom d'un chien ! (French expression for: a great astonishment)
The names of the squares were given by Hermès when they were created. To the painter's astonishment, the pigeons became turtledoves, the dachshunds were called bassets and the roe deer, hinds!
Carrés d'art has kept the official name given by Hermès.
The scarf "les tourterelles" so named by Hermès represents doves.
The "bassets"
scarf represents dachshunds.
These are the two dachshunds of Xavier de Poret's wife, named "Ariette" and "Sophie".
The deer scarf represents roe deer
No cats at Xavier de Poret
Xavier de Poret has never designed cats for a Hermès square. It was his brother Jacques de Poret who drew "Chats persans", the only square by Jacques de Poret for Hermès.
(source: Roselyne de Poret, daughter of the artist)
An update on an enigmatic square
The scarf representing "horse and hounds", drawn and signed by Xavier de Poret, was printed in 200 copies in several colours by the Colcombet firm in Lyon (source: François de Poret, son of the artist). It is not part of the Hermès collection.
opposite: Horse and pack dogs, partial view without borders
Xavier de Poret (1894-1975)
Xavier de Poret was the son of Maurice de Poret and Hélène de Mousin de Bernecourt. He grew up in the castle of Face-Les-Lys near Fontainebleau.
Very early on he developed a gift for drawing. Surrounded by stables and aviaries, he had models to draw throughout his career as an animal artist, studying the attitudes and poses of animals in fascinating detail and realism. In 1920, he married Juliette d'Onciaux de la Bâtie. They settled in Riaz in Gruyère, Switzerland, where she owned the Château de Plaisance, the former residence of the bishops of Lausanne. He painted equestrian pictures of Queen Elizabeth II and her children, as well as portraits of Belgian and Luxembourg sovereigns, which earned him recognition as a "great worldly portraitist".
Poret family archives
At the sale to be held in Cannes on 15 December 2021, auctioneer Thierry Noudel-Deniau will present a group of drawings and scarves by the artist, including exceptional pieces from the Poret family. A rare print on unrolled satin representing "Les Coqs de Bruyère", kept by the author, will be included in this exceptional sale.
Les coqs de bruyère - unique unrolled copy, original proof for
the Hermès square of the same name.
Press review
Magazine L'éperon, 20 octobre 2010
Photo from left to right: Gerrtje Hesse qui tiens le carré Les bottes, Jacques de Poret (frère de Xavier de Poret). Pénélope Fillon Odile Reynaud, Roselyne de Poret
(fille de XdP, Laurence de Metz (petite fille de XdP)
Carré Monarch
Le Monde d'Hermès, 1979
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