Portrait of a Nobleman, said to be Charles-Alexandre, Duc de Lorraine, standing half-length, beside a table, his left hand resting on a plumed helmet, a battlefield beyond

It has been suggested that the present lot may be the picture listed as number five in the commande of the Menus Plaisirs of 1722 occasioned by the coronation of Louis XV, described as a portrait of the Duc de Lorraine by Alexis-Simon Belle.

Charles-Alexandre (1712-1780), was the youngest son of Leopold, Duke of Lorraine and brother of Emperor Franz I. With the outbreak of the Silesian Wars in 1740, his sister-in-law, the Empress Maria Theresa appointed him Field Marshal and head of the Austrian forces. His military reputation was further enhanced with the successful campaigns of 1743 against the French and Bavarians. In the following year he married Marianne of Austria, the sister of Maria Theresa, who appointed them joint Governor-General of the Netherlands. Despite the early death of his wife, his government was marked by a series of popular reforms and a deep affection from the people he ruled over. He died on 4 July 1780.