Lot Essay
Franoise-Eleonore de Manville (1749-1827) married the Comte de Sabran in 1769; he was fifty years her senior and died five years later. After his death she became the mistress of and later married the Marquis de Boufflers. A portion of their intimate correspondance was published in 1875 (see H.H. Arnason, The Sculpture of Houdon, New York, 1975, pp. 72, 115, pl. 94).