galleryofunknowns:Charles Baziray (b.1685 - d.1755), ‘Portrait of the Comtesse de Gennes’, oil on ca
galleryofunknowns:Charles Baziray (b.1685 - d.1755), ‘Portrait of the Comtesse de Gennes’, oil on canvas, c.1747, French, sold by Olivier d'Ythurbide Antiques; Paris, France.Little is known about Charles Baziray, but he may have been a pupil of Nicolas de Largilliere, and his works are found in many noble collections of Nantes, Rennes, Fougeres and Saint Malo. (x)The identity of the sitter is unclear as the title of ‘Comte and Comtesse de Gennes’ is difficult to trace online. She may be one of the wives or daughters of Jean Baptiste de Gennes, Comte d’Oyac* b.1656 - d.1705), who married two women: Marie Guillet (m. 1681), with whom some sources say they had 5 daughters (and perhaps a son then later Marie Savouret (m. 1690), with whom he had three daughters and a son, Jean Guillaume de Gennes (b. 1699 - d. 1787), Comte de Gennes and Archdeacon of La Rochelle. As a priest, Jean Guillaume died childless, with his title passing to his niece Marie Genevieve de Gennes (b.1755 - d.1838), who was the daughter of Marie Catherine Gaultier (b.1721 - d.1776), who in turn was daughter of Jean Baptiste with Marie Savouret. Marie Genevieve was appointed ‘Countess of Gennes in 1787 on the death of her priest uncle, the letters patent of 1698 relating to the erection of land in Guyana under the name of Gennes for the benefit of “heirs and successors both male and female"’ (x). *while I found reference to Jean Baptiste primarily as ‘Comte d’Oyac, I also found reference to him as a Comte de Gennes. Presumably he was entitled to both, as his son inherited the title, followed by his granddaughter, but I could not be certain. -- source link