Georges de Roose

About the Painting

This 1758 oil on canvas portrait depicts Louis-François Cochet de Corbeaumont, squire and lord of Busnes, Corbeaumont, and Fauquetin, at the age of 34. Painted by Belgian artist Georges-Louis de Roose, the work presents the nobleman in hunter's attire, bearing a rifle on his shoulder—a composition that reflects both his aristocratic status and his passion for the hunt. The portrait exemplifies the refined portraiture style of mid-18th century Flemish painting, combining technical mastery with careful attention to the sitter's social standing.

A handwritten inscription on the verso (currently covered) reads: "Louis François Cochet de Corbeaumont, 34 years old. G.L. de Roose fecit 1758." A faint pencil annotation on the frame back notes "Succession Montcalm" (Montcalm Estate), providing additional provenance.

About the Sitter

Louis-François Cochet de Corbeaumont (1724-1798) was a member of the nobility of northern France, born in Busnes, Pas-de-Calais, on May 16, 1724. In 1750, he married Catherine-Françoise de Gomer, daughter of the Marquis de Gomer. Their son, Louis-Gabriel Cochet de Corbeaumont (1754-1835), served as mayor of Busnes between 1805-1830 and authored "La fauconnerie ou Essais en plein vol," the only French text on falconry of the period—a work by an aristocratic witness to one of the last full-flight hunts of the ancien régime.

The Cochet de Corbeaumont family resided in the Château du Quesnoy in Busnes, which tragically burned in 1899 due to a kitchen fire. Only the 18th-century chapel, dedicated to Notre Dame de Montligeon, remains and has been recently restored by a heritage association. Louis-François died on June 24, 1798, in Saint-Omer at the age of 74.

About the Artist

Georges-Louis de Roose (1701-1765) was a Belgian portrait painter born in Kortrijk, West Flanders, on April 26, 1701. Following the custom of the time, de Roose traveled extensively early in his career before settling in Bruges, where he created numerous portraits and painted four works for the Abbey of Eeckhoutte depicting scenes from the life of Saint Augustine (now lost). He had Jan Gaeremyn as a pupil in Bruges.

In 1749, de Roose settled in Saint-Omer, France, where he remained until his death on September 24, 1765. This portrait was painted in 1758, during his Saint-Omer period, demonstrating his mature style and mastery of aristocratic portraiture.

Technical Details

Artist: Georges-Louis de Roose (1701-1765)
Sitter: Louis-François Cochet de Corbeaumont (1724-1798)
Date: 1758
Medium: Oil on canvas
Signature: Signed and dated on verso, 1758
Condition: Very good condition, recently restored and relined
Dimensions: 82 x 65 cm / 32¼ x 25½ in (canvas)
Frame: 100 x 84 cm / 39½ x 33 in, gilt wood and stucco, 19th century, very good condition
Origin: France
Provenance: Montcalm Estate (noted on frame)
Sources: Archives de France; Biographie Nationale - Académie royale des sciences, des lettres et des beaux-arts de Belgique, 1910

A distinguished 18th-century Flemish portrait with documented provenance and aristocratic lineage.