Jean-François Guillet dit VALLIÈRE (Paris, 1743 - Commercy, 1806) Portrait of Antoine de Thomassin comte de Peynier (Aix-en-Provence, 1731 - Arance, 1809), in Navy uniform, squadron leader and commander of the Order of Saint-Louis, 1787. On reverse in pen "Dessiné par /Vallière rue du /champ fleurie/ maison de Mr de Bourges architecte du Roy/ a paris mars 1787" and old identification "Mr de Pey[...] er / gouverneur de St Domingue". Miniature drawn with three pencils and enhanced with gouache on paper, at sight diam. 9cm. Thomassin joined the navy at the age of 14, and quickly rose through the ranks. His head bore the scars of the gunshot he received in 1759, the after-effects of which he would suffer for the rest of his life. During his explorations to open up new sea routes for French trade, he mapped Guadeloupe, then took part in the American War of Independence under the command of Baillis de Suffren. He became close to the family of Gédéon de Novilos (portraits in the following issues), governor of Guadeloupe and then governor of Saint-Domingue, a position he held himself from July 26, 1789 to the end of 1790. Thomassin owned the Château de Peynier in Provence, which was recently restored and is now the town hall of Trets. On Vallière, an important portraitist of the aristocracy under Louis XVI often confused with Carmontelle, see N. Lemoine-Bouchard, La Lettre de la miniature no. 58 (March-April 2021), pp. 3-19.