Attributed to Francois Bernard (French/New Orleans, 1812-1875), "Portraits of Edgar de Vesine Larue (1806/7-1884) and Augustine 'Elina' Pollock Larue (1825-1857)," ca. 1855, pair of oils on linen laid down on masonite, both unsigned, both presented in period gilt and gesso frames, H.- 30 in., W.- 25 in., Framed- H.- 43 in., W.- 33 in. (2 Pcs.) Provenance: Descended in the Capdevielle through the granddaughters of the sitters, Edith (1886-1959) and Yvonne Capdevielle (1884-1960); to their niece.Group Note:Lots 658-662 represent an important group of 19th Century New Orleans’ Creole family portraits that include members of the Miltenbergers, Larues, Pollocks and Capdevielles, dating from 1806 through the 1880s. Both the Miltenbergers and the Larues came to New Orleans from the Caribbean following early 19th century slave revolts; the Miltenbergers served in the Battle of New Orleans under Andrew Jackson and members of both families served in the US military with distinction. The Miltenbergers and the Larues became reputable cotton factors/brokers in Louisiana. Other members of the Pollock and Capdevielle families established themselves as public administrators, auditors and politicians, who were formative to the development and expansion of the Port of New Orleans and City Park; to the Preservation of Destrehan Plantation; and to the development of the sewerage system and railways c. 1900.Of the five oil paintings, the four portraits of the Larues, Pollocks and Pollock/Miltenberger are unsigned and were likely executed ca. 1855-1856 by Francois Bernard, who was commissioned by other members of the Larue family in 1855- see the pastel portraits of Felix Larue and his wife Marie Louise Foucher in the Colonial Dames “Louisiana Portraits” book (p. 156). The Larues, the Pollocks and later Capdevielles resided together for decades in a multi-generational family structure, typical of French creoles. Following the marriage of Elina Pollock to Edgar Larue in January 1850, the couple moved in with her parents: Captain George Pollock and Elina Miltenberger Pollock (lot 662) at 332 Royal Street. According to the 1850 census, they resided there with Elina’s four younger siblings James and Emma (lots 661-662), George and John. All four sons are registered as clerks in their Uncle Alphonse’s cotton business A. Miltenberger & Co. Elina dies in July 1857 in Le Havre, France, and her funeral is held two months later in New Orleans at the same residence.The sitters in these five oil portraits all lived together between 1850-1857, and their ages correspond with their images. Therefore, the portraits were likely painted at the same time, by the same artist, as they are all executed with the same direct style, on linen of the same size In oval formats with period matching frames. The straight forward oval compositions, forthright attention to detail, the strong contrast between light and dark juxtaposed by near black backgrounds with dark umbers and greens, and the visible asymmetry between the sitter’s eye sizes strongly suggests the hand of Francois Bernard. Bernard opened a studio in December of 1856 on Canal Street above White’s bookstore, after spending the previous summer in the City painting portraits of French New Orleanians. Early portraits suggest Bernard may have been here as early as 1848/1849. Larue’s brother Felix and his wife Marie-Louise Foucher sat for their portraits in Paris in 1855. The imperial measurements on these works further suggest they were executed in the U.S. as opposed to France, and likely were commissioned at around the same time or in the year following. The Larues and Pollocks did not return together to France until May 1857, and the ship’s manifest does not list James aboard, which further indicates these portraits were not executed in France prior to Marie Elina’s death on July 2.The Larues and Pollocks continued to live on Royal Street through the 1860s. The 1880 census places them at 291 S. Esplanade Ave. where they are joined by newly weds Paul Capdevielle and Marie Emma (daughter of Edgar and Elina Larue) with their infant daughter, also named Elina. Paul Capdevielle, state auditor and former New Orleans mayor, and Emma have an additional six children between 1880-1889. The group portrait by John Genin in lot 658 is of the two eldest Capdevielle sons: Paul Jr. and Auguste. Genin also painted portraits of the couple’s two eldest daughter Elina (who dies in childhood), and Yvonne, from whom these portraits descended. The portraits of the daughters were gifted to the Historic New Orleans Collection (THNOC) in 2015.Following the death of Edgar Larue in 1882 and Grandmother Elina Pollock in 1888, the remaining celibate Pollock children- James and Emma- moved in with the Capdevielles and remained with the family until their deaths in 1900 and 1909.Note: Edgar Larue and his younger brother Felix were French Creoles born in the West Indes. Following the Haitian Revolution, they emigrated to New Orleans in 1837 and founded E.&.F. Larue- a lucrative cotton brokerage firm. Pictured here are Larue and his young bride, Emma Elina, 1850-1856. Elina dies in France and the couple's only daughter and child Marie Emma Larue (1850-1917), marries Paul Capdevielle (1842-1922).

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