- 601
JEHAN GEORGES VIBERT | Une cause celébré (The Trial of Pierrot)
Estimate
6,000 - 8,000 USD
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Description
- Jehan Georges Vibert
- Une cause celébré (The Trial of Pierrot)
- signed J.G. Vibert (lower left)
- pen and black ink, black wash, and gouache on paper
- 15 1/2 by 24 3/4 in.
- 39.4 by 62.9 cm
Condition
Pen and black ink, black wash, and gouache on paper laid down on another sheet of paper, which is affixed to the backboard along the upper, right, and lower edges with tape. The paper on which the present sheet has been laid down is irregularly cut. The sheet has a 1/2 inch margin on all sides, which is only partially visible in current framing along the lower edge. The sheet is time darkened with scattered foxing throughout.
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.
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.
Catalogue Note
The story of Pierrot and the characters of the Commedia dell’Arte provided inspiration for artists from Watteau to van Gogh to Picasso. However, few have captured the humor of the famed clown’s trials as vibrantly as Jean Georges Vibert, who created this expressive drawing to illustrate a popular story from his La Comédie en Peinture (1902). The object of Pierrot’s affections, Columbine, has been brought to trial by her elderly husband on account of her philandering behavior. While Columbine appears coy and beguiling, Pierrot seems reticent, and both avoid the eyes and wild gesticulations of the defense lawyer, in the guise of Pulchinelle, at left. Columbine’s nervous husband sits wringing his hands at far right, while Pierrot’s nemesis Harlequin whispers slanders in his ear, egged on by a group of drunk soldiers behind them.
This drawing is possibly a preparatory work for two other versions of the composition: a watercolor and gouache now in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago that may have been shown at the 1883 exhibition of the society of French Watercolorists (fig. 1)and a sumptuous large-scale oil now in a Private Collection.
This drawing is possibly a preparatory work for two other versions of the composition: a watercolor and gouache now in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago that may have been shown at the 1883 exhibition of the society of French Watercolorists (fig. 1)and a sumptuous large-scale oil now in a Private Collection.