A pair of ‘sanguines’ drawings attributed to Charles-François Silvestre (1667-1738), France

Born in Paris in 1667, Charles-François Silvestre was the eldest son of Israel Silvestre, a renowned French artist. He became hmself a respected draughtsman and engraver. Studying with his father, then under court painter Charles Le Brun’s mentorship, Charles-Francois was only fourteen years old when he was made drawing master of the Great Royal Stables in Versailles. He was allocated a studio in the Louvre’s galleries in 1691 and in 1695 became the drawing teacher of the ‘Children of France’, the grandchildren of the Sun King, Louis XIV. The present drawings likely served as models for a series of engravings dedicated to one of his three students, the Duke of Burgundy. Titled Différents Habillements des Turcs Dédiez à Monseigneur le Duc de Bourgogne (Different Costumes of Turks Dedicated to the Duke of Burgundy), these twenty-nine engravings each represent Turkish officials in formal costumes (see https://israel.silvestre.fr/charles_francois/iconographie-charles-francois.php#Suite-6).

The present pair is modelled on two engravings titled Un Atagi ou cuisinier du sérail ('An Atagi or cook for the harem') and Vendeur de balets turc ('Turkish broom seller'), both signed by Charles-François Silvestre.