Jean-Baptiste Greuze

Probably Ange Laurent de la Live, called La Live de Jully (1725-1779);
M. des Hours-Farel,
by descent to his daughter, Charlotte des Hours-Farel, later Madame (Jean-Jaques) Alexis Auriol (according to ink inscription on backing), Montpellier,
by descent to a private collection,
their sale, Paris, Drouot-Richelieu, 19 March 1990, lot 16,
where acquired by the present owner

New York, Wildenstein, The Arts of France from François I^er to Napoléon I^er:  A Centennial Celebration of Wildenstein's Presence in New York, 2005-2006, no. 87, reproduced p. 228

J. Martin and C. Masson, 'Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre peint et dessiné de J. B. Greuze', p. 14, no. 171, in C. Mauclair, Jean-Baptiste Greuze, Paris, n.d. [1905];
M. Hérbert and Y. Sjöberg, Inventaire du Fonds Français: graveurs du XVIIIe siècle, XII, paris, 1973, p. 332, under no. 48

Laid down. Overall in very good condition. Medium strong. Sold in a carved and gilded frame.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Engraved:
In reverse by Ange Laurent de La Live de Jully (1725-1779).  An impression of the print is sold together with the drawing.

This composition was long known only through the engraving, executed by the artist's first great patron, Ange Laurent de La Live de Jully (1725-1779).  In the early 1760s Greuze began to specialize in these rustic images which proved extremely popular and were often widely circulated via reproductive prints.  Another somewhat similar drawing by Greuze from the early 1760s, The Chestnut Vendor, was also very successfully engraved, by J.-F. Beauvarlet.¹  The two children to the right of the present drawing closely resemble those depicted in The Chestnut Vendor.

The subject of a mother surrounded by her children, and scenes of domesticity in general, figure large in Greuze's oeuvre.  Here we see an exasperated mother, who looks totally drained of energy as she carries her smallest in a sling around her front while another of her young children rides on her back and two more cling to her skirt.  Her outstretched hand suggests her patience is running low but, oblivious to her exhaustion, the young child on her back taunts her siblings below. 

Children populate many of Greuze's compositions: some are obedient, some docile, some unruly, others timid.  Their personalities differ not only from one drawing to another but also within the same composition.  It is this combination of emotions and expressions that Greuze is so skilled at conveying.  Rather similar in overall mood to the present work is Greuze's compositional study for The Beloved Mother, which illustrates another scene where a mother is seated in a chair, devoid of energy, as her children fuss and mill around her.²

See lot 32 for a much more docile and placid study by Greuze of a young child sleeping.

¹ Greuze the Draftsman, exhib. cat., New York, The Frick Collection; Los Angeles, The J. Paul Getty Museum, 2002, p. 68, no. 14

² Exhib. cat., 2002, op. cit., p. 136, no. 43, reproduced p. 137