Charles-Joseph Natoire Nîmes 1700 - 1777 Castel Gandolfo

Purchased London, Christie's, 11 April 1978, lot 137, reproduced plate 43

Sold in a modern wooden/gilded frame. Laid down on a 19th Century (?) mount. The paper is very rough- it may have been packing paper- with various small dark threads etc, which have been woven into it. There are no stains, only a few small, isolated fox marks, in the upper right corner, and another in the lower left corner. The chalk is still strong, and overall the condition is very good.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This study is preparatory for one of the central figures in Natoire's painting The Nymphs receiving Psyche at the Palace of Love.¹  The painting is one of a set of eight, made to decorate the Salon Ovale of the Hôtel Soubise, Paris, which was part of the apartments of the Princess de Rohan.  Natoire worked on the project between 1737 and 1739, alongside the architect Germain Boffrand, who had been commissioned in 1735 with the restoration of the Hôtel.  The paintings were placed in the pendentives of the elaborate rococo rooms, between a blue and gold ceiling and panels of wood stained white and surmounted with sculpted cartouches.  A compositional study for the Nymphs receiving Psyche, in pen and brown ink and wash on blue paper, is at the Louvre (inv. no.31379).²

1. Charles-Joseph Natoire: peintres, dessins, estampes et tapisseries des collections publiques françaises, exhibition catalogue, Troyes, Nîmes and Rome 1977, pp. 61-2

2. Natoire, op.cit., cat. no. 18, pp. 63-4