General Nicolas Philippe Guye (Primary Title)
General Nicolas Guye (Former Title)
Francisco Goya, Spanish, 1746 - 1828 (Artist)
As a member of the French army occupying Spain, Guye was governor of Seville when Spanish artist Francisco Goya painted his portrait. Here, the general wears the orders of his successful career, appearing a dignified figure of state. Guye was one of Goya’s loyal patrons, and the artist has depicted him as a sympathetic human being, despite his role in invading Spain. Goya was likely sympathetic to the French for their efforts in liberating Spain from the Inquisition, which they abolished. Goya later went into exile in France, and he died in the city of Bordeaux.
Gift of Mr. John Lee Pratt
2021-2022: "Goya" Fondation Beyeler, Riehan/Basel, Switzerland, October 10, 2021 - January 23, 2022.
2018: "Spain: 500 Years of Painting from the Museums of Madrid", San Antonio Museum of Art, June 22 - September 16, 2018
2015-2016: "Goya's Portraits", National Gallery, London, October 7, 2015 - January 10, 2016.
2003: "The French taste in Spanish Painting", Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY, February 24 - June 29, 2003.
1972: "Francisco Goya: Portraits in Paintings, Prints and Drawings", VMFA, May 8 - Jule 11, 1972.
1961: "Loan Exhibition of Paintings and Drawing Masterpieces, A Memorial Exhibition for Adele R. Levy", Wildensteing & Co., NY, April 6 - May 7, 1961.
1953: "The Art of Francisco Jose de Goya y Lucientes", VMFA, January 15 - march 10, 1953.
1950: "A Loan Exhibition of Goya", Wildenstein & Co. NY, November 9 - December 16, 1950.
1940: "Masterpieces of Art", New York World's Fair, May 27 - October, 1940.
1937: "Exhibition of Paintings, Drawings and Prints by Francisco Goya", California Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco, A, June 5 - July 4, 1937.
1935: "Alte und neue spanische Kunst", Kunstverein, Hamburg, Germany, August - September, 1935.
1935: "Jubilee Year exhibition of Masterpieces through Four Centuries", M. Knoedler & Co., London, UK, May 29 - June 29, 1935.
1934: "Loan Exhibition of Paintings by Goya", M. Knoedler & Co., April 9-21, 1934.
1932: "Naval and Military Portraits", M. Knoedler & Co, NY, April 18-30, 1932.
1928: "Exhibition of Spanish Paintings from El Greco to Goya", Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY February 17 - April 1, 1928.
1915: "Loan Exihbition of Paintings by El Greco and Goya", M. Knoedler & Co., January 1915.
2018: "Spain: 500 Years of Painting from the Museums of Madrid", San Antonio Museum of Art, June 22 - September 16, 2018
2015-2016: "Goya's Portraits", National Gallery, London, October 7, 2015 - January 10, 2016.
2003: "The French taste in Spanish Painting", Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY, February 24 - June 29, 2003.
1972: "Francisco Goya: Portraits in Paintings, Prints and Drawings", VMFA, May 8 - Jule 11, 1972.
1961: "Loan Exhibition of Paintings and Drawing Masterpieces, A Memorial Exhibition for Adele R. Levy", Wildensteing & Co., NY, April 6 - May 7, 1961.
1953: "The Art of Francisco Jose de Goya y Lucientes", VMFA, January 15 - march 10, 1953.
1950: "A Loan Exhibition of Goya", Wildenstein & Co. NY, November 9 - December 16, 1950.
1940: "Masterpieces of Art", New York World's Fair, May 27 - October, 1940.
1937: "Exhibition of Paintings, Drawings and Prints by Francisco Goya", California Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco, A, June 5 - July 4, 1937.
1935: "Alte und neue spanische Kunst", Kunstverein, Hamburg, Germany, August - September, 1935.
1935: "Jubilee Year exhibition of Masterpieces through Four Centuries", M. Knoedler & Co., London, UK, May 29 - June 29, 1935.
1934: "Loan Exhibition of Paintings by Goya", M. Knoedler & Co., April 9-21, 1934.
1932: "Naval and Military Portraits", M. Knoedler & Co, NY, April 18-30, 1932.
1928: "Exhibition of Spanish Paintings from El Greco to Goya", Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY February 17 - April 1, 1928.
1915: "Loan Exihbition of Paintings by El Greco and Goya", M. Knoedler & Co., January 1915.
Commissioned by sitter Nicolas Guye; by gift to Vincent Guye, brother of the sitter, who likely transported the painting from Madrid to Saint-Dié, France; [1] (Trotti et Cie., Paris), by 1913; [2] (M. Knoedler & Co., Paris, London, and New York), by 1915; [3] purchased in 1916 by Mr. J. Horace Harding [1863-1929], New York. [4] By 1937, Mr. and Mrs. Marshall Field III, New York; [5] (Knoedler, Heinemann and E. V. Thaw, New York), by 1970-71; [6] Mr. John Lee Pratt, Virginia, 1971; Gift to Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA), Richmond, Virginia in September of 1971. [7]
[1] Priscilla Muller, "Goya's Portrait of General Guye", Arts in Virginia, XII (Winter, 1972), pp. 2-11, for the provenance information of this painting and its companion, Portrait of Victor Guye, a portrait of the General’s nephew, which is in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington.
[2] Aureliano de Beruete y Moret, "Deux portraits inédits de Goya," Les Arts (April 1913): pp. 1-4, illus. Pl. 1.
[3] Xavier Desparmet Fitz-Gerald, L'Oeuvre peint de Goya (Paris, 1928-1950), vol. 2: p. 291, cat. no. 550s.
[4] After J. Horace Harding’s death in 1929, it is not clear when and how his widow sold the painting and whether it was sold directly to Mr. and Mrs. Marshall Fields.
[5] In 1937 exhibition catalogue, “Exhibitions of Paintings, Drawings and Prints by Francisco Goya,” California Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco, 5 June – 4 July 1937, no. 23 (illus.), Fields indicated as owner. Mr. Fields died in 1956, leaving the painting to his widow, Mrs. Ruth Fields.
[6] According to a published 2007 interview with art dealer Eugene V. Thaw, he worked in partnership with Heinemann and Knoedler and purchased the portrait from Mrs. Ruth Fields in the early 1970s. Architectural Digest, April 2007, Volume 64, No. 4, pp. 106, 110-112.
[7] According to Thaw, he sold it to Mr. John Lee Pratt. Mr. Pratt gave it to VMFA in 1971 as an Anonymous Gift. Years later after his death, he was officially credited for the gift. Information in VMFA Curatorial and Registration files.
[1] Priscilla Muller, "Goya's Portrait of General Guye", Arts in Virginia, XII (Winter, 1972), pp. 2-11, for the provenance information of this painting and its companion, Portrait of Victor Guye, a portrait of the General’s nephew, which is in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington.
[2] Aureliano de Beruete y Moret, "Deux portraits inédits de Goya," Les Arts (April 1913): pp. 1-4, illus. Pl. 1.
[3] Xavier Desparmet Fitz-Gerald, L'Oeuvre peint de Goya (Paris, 1928-1950), vol. 2: p. 291, cat. no. 550s.
[4] After J. Horace Harding’s death in 1929, it is not clear when and how his widow sold the painting and whether it was sold directly to Mr. and Mrs. Marshall Fields.
[5] In 1937 exhibition catalogue, “Exhibitions of Paintings, Drawings and Prints by Francisco Goya,” California Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco, 5 June – 4 July 1937, no. 23 (illus.), Fields indicated as owner. Mr. Fields died in 1956, leaving the painting to his widow, Mrs. Ruth Fields.
[6] According to a published 2007 interview with art dealer Eugene V. Thaw, he worked in partnership with Heinemann and Knoedler and purchased the portrait from Mrs. Ruth Fields in the early 1970s. Architectural Digest, April 2007, Volume 64, No. 4, pp. 106, 110-112.
[7] According to Thaw, he sold it to Mr. John Lee Pratt. Mr. Pratt gave it to VMFA in 1971 as an Anonymous Gift. Years later after his death, he was officially credited for the gift. Information in VMFA Curatorial and Registration files.
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC
Some object records are not complete and do not reflect VMFA's full and current knowledge. VMFA makes routine updates as records are reviewed and enhanced.
