Lot 52
  • 52

Jean-Joseph-Xavier Bidauld

Estimate
200,000 - 300,000 USD
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Description

  • Jean-Joseph-Xavier Bidauld
  • Extensive Mountainous Landscape
  • oil on canvas, unframed
  • 13 3/4 x 19 1/8 inches

Provenance

With Leggat Bros., London, by 1941;
Oliver Van Oss, Esq., by 1942;
By descent in the family;
Anonymous sale, London, Christie's, 30 October 1998, lot 61;
There purchased by the present collector.

Exhibited

London, Council for the Encouragement of Music and Arts, An Exhibition of British Landscapes in Oils From George II to Queen Victoria, 1942-43, cat. no. 7 (as attributed to John Robert Cozens).

Literature

R. Edwards, "Letters: A Picture attributed to J.R. Cozens', in Burlington Magazine, May 1943, p. 128, reproduced fig. D, (as Attributed to John Robert Cozens);
R. Edwards, An Exhibition of British Landscapes in Oils From George II to Queen Victoria, 1943, p. 6, cat. no. 7 (as Attributed to John Robert Cozens);
S. Gutwirth, "Sabine Mountains: an Early Italian Landscape by Jean-Joseph-Xavier Bidauld", in Bulletin of Detroit Institute of Arts, Vol. 55, No. 3, 1977, p. 151, under note 2.

Condition

The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com , an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. Although this painting has an old lining which is probably 19th century, the surface has been more recently restored and it seems to be clean, retouched and varnished. The retouches are visible under ultraviolet light in a group in the sky on the far right and again on the far left, also in the sky. In the landscape the only area which has attracted any retouches of any note is the dark hillside on the far left. The retouches are well applied and the picture should most likely 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

Despite the strange misattribution to John Robert Cozens in the 1942 exhibition, this is a quintessential work by Bidauld who was particularly notable for his masterful treatment of light.

Bidauld, like other French landscape painters of his generation, travelled to Italy in 1785 to complete his artistic training in the Italian countryside.  His Italian sojourn, which lasted five years, proved to be the defining experience of his career and the many plein air sketches and paintings he produced while there provided inspiration throughout the rest of his artistic career. Though he returned to Italy only once after his initial visit, he drew heavily upon his fond memories of the landscape and continued to paint Italian subjects throughout his career.

A very similar picture by Bidauld of comparable measurements was sold at Sotheby's, New York, January 27, 2006, lot 337 for $240,000.