Nicolas-Henry Jeaurat de Bertry

The following condition report has been provided by Catherine Polnecq, 12 rue Saint-Sabin - 75011 Paris, Tel: 33 (0)1 48 05 30 53, Email: c.polnecq@hotmail.fr, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. Good overall condition. A vertical canvas seam is visible on 20 cm from the right edge. Under ultraviolet light: There are small damages in the cello and under the playing card. Another restored damage of 10 cm in the bugle. A small restored tear next to the violin handle.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Le tableau que nous présentons, inédit jusqu'à ce jour, est un apport important dans le corpus de l'œuvre de Nicolas-Henri Jeaurat de Bertry. L'ampleur de son format, la cohérence de son sujet ainsi que la présence explicite du livret de la célèbre tragédie lyrique Castor et Pollux de Jean-Philippe Rameau font de cette œuvre un éloge de l'avènement de l'art lyrique et de la musique baroque française.

Elève de son oncle, Etienne Jeaurat, Nicolas-Henry Jeaurat de Bertry se spécialisa dans les natures mortes à la manière de Jean-Baptiste Chardin. Ses morceaux de réception à l'Académie ont pour sujet : l'un, une Nature morte aux ustensiles de cuisine, l'autre, un Trophée militaire (conservés respectivement à l'Ecole des Beaux Arts de Paris et au musée de Fontainebleau). Pensionnaire de Marie Leszcynska, le peintre fut tenu de vivre à Versailles où il demeura jusqu'à la mort de la reine en 1773. La carrière de Jeaurat de Bertry, longtemps méconnue et parfois confondue avec celle d'autres artistes comme Henri Horace Roland de La Porte, reste encore à préciser, et beaucoup de ses œuvres passées sous des noms divers sont à lui réattribuer.

Notre tableau est à rapprocher des œuvres les plus fines, subtiles et délicates de l'artiste qui véhiculent le mieux l'esprit du Siècle des Lumières. Ainsi, il doit être comparé à la Nature morte à la table et instruments de musique (toile, 96 x 141 cm) conservée au musée de Cambrai et des deux toiles, Nature morte au buste et Nature morte aux instruments de musique (toiles, signées et datées, 100 x 126 cm), de localisation inconnue en 1976 (voir M. et F. Faré, La vie silencieuse en France. La nature morte en France au XVIII^ème siècle, Fribourg, 1976, pp. 199-200, reproduits figs. 303-305).

Le livret d'opéra apparaissant sur notre tableau est l'œuvre de Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764). Fils d'organiste, Rameau fut le grand théoricien de la science de l'harmonie (Traité d'harmonie, publié en 1722). Ses tragédies lyriques sont très célèbres au XVIII^ème siècle. La souplesse de la rythmique de sa musique, le relief et la vigueur de son style instrumental contribuent à porter l'émotion et le sentiment dramatique à leur paroxysme. Castor et Pollux fut la deuxième tragédie lyrique de Rameau ; elle fut composée sur le livret du poète et librettiste Pierre-Joseph Bernard (1708-1785), et sa première représentation eut lieu à l'Académie Royale de Musique le 24 octobre 1737.

Nous remercions Monsieur Fabrice Faré qui nous a suggéré l'attribution à Nicolas-Henri Jeaurat de Bertry après examen direct de l'œuvre.


STILL LIFE IN TROMPE L'OEIL WITH MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS AND THE BOOK OF 'CASTOR AND POLLUX' BY RAMEAU

Oil on canvas

Hitherto unpublished, the present painting is an important addition to the known corpus of Nicolas-Henri Jeaurat de Bertry. The subject matter and the grandeur of its design, including the central presence of the libretto of Jean-Philippe Rameau's 'Castor and Pollux', make it a eulogy to both the lyric arts and French Baroque music.

The pupil of his uncle Etienne Jeaurat, Nicolas-Henry Jeaurat de Bertry specialised in still lifes in the tradition of Jean-Baptiste Chardin. His two 'morceaux de réception' for the Académie Royale were a 'Still Life with kitchen utensils' and a 'Military Trophy' (now in the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Paris and the Fontainbleau Museum respectively). Under the patronage of Marie Leszcynska, he came to live in Versailles, where he stayed until the death of the Queen in 1773. His career remains largely unremarked and unstudied, and much of his work, for long confused with that of other painters such as Henri Horace Roland de La Porte, remains to be rediscovered.

The present painting is amongst the finest and most delicate of Jeaurat de Bertry's works, which accorded perfectly with the spirit of the Age of Enlightenment. In particular it may be compared to his 'Still Life with musical instruments' (canvas, 96 by 141 cm) now in the  Cambrai Museum, and two canvases, a 'Still Life with a bust' and a 'Still Life with musical instruments' recorded by Michel and Fabrice Faré (see La vie silencieuse. La nature morte en France au XVIII^ème siecle, Fribourg 1976, pp. 199-200, reproduced figs. 303-305), but whose whereabouts are now unknown.

The opera libretto which appears in this picture is the work of Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764). The son of an organist. Rameau was the great theoretician of the Science of Harmony, and published his 'Traité d'harmonie' in 1722. His lyrical tragedies were enormously popular in the 18^th century : in them the combination of his subtle musical rhythms with his vigorous instrumental style brought their emotion and dramatic sentiment to a new pitch. 'Castor and Pollux' was his second lyric tragedy. Composed with a libretto by the poet Pierre-Joseph Bernard (1708-1785), its inaugural performance took place at the Royal Academy of Music on the 24 October 1737.

We are grateful to Mr. Fabrice Faré for suggesting the attribution for this painting to Nicolas-Henri Jeaurat de Bertry following first hand inspection.