Lot 55
  • 55

Hugues Merle

Estimate
60,000 - 80,000 USD
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Description

  • Hugues Merle
  • The Bather
  • signed Hugues Merle and dated 1870 (lower left)
  • oil on canvas
  • 46 by 32 in.
  • 116.8 by 81.2 cm

Condition

The following condition report was kindly provided by Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc.: This painting has an old glue lining but the paint layer has been recently cleaned and retouched. The retouches address a few thin spots in the background around the raised arm on the right side and a diagonal scratch in the background in the upper left. The remainder of the background is almost entirely undamaged and un-retouched. The figure is in very good condition. Vestiges of a fluorescent medium are visible under ultraviolet light in the chin and in the face. These marks do not correspond to recent retouches and they may be remnants of a light glaze from an earlier restoration, and they are of very little consequence. The picture should be hung as is.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

Catalogue Note

Hugues Merle was a contemporary and a possible rival of the more famous, William Bouguereau.  Both artists were known, not only for their charming genre subjects, but also for their depiction of the female nude, usually disguised as an allegorical or mythological figure.   In our painting, Merle has shown a beautiful wood nymph emerging from her bath; her fingers are entwined in her hair, still glistening with tiny drops of water from the pool below.