Louis Béroud

Sale: Sotheby's, New York, May 21, 1987, lot 126, illustrated
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

Lined; under UV: inpainting to address possible L-shaped repaired tear to left of leftmost figure's head, dots of inpainting to chin of leftmost figure, a few dots of inpainting to right of rightmost figures, a few dots to paintbox.
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.

After visiting the Louvre, an American visitor noted that "along the galleries are numerous temporary stands, easels, etc., at which artists are constantly at work copying such paintings as they may have orders for, or hope to find purchasers for" (as quoted in Barbara Stern Shapiro, Pleasures of Paris: Daumier to Picasso, Boston, 1991, p. 108). Stumbling across a working artist and his accoutrements was not a rare occurrence for the nineteenth century museum-goer. Viewing and copying the museum's masterpieces was a traditional part of an artist's education and of less formal programs of instruction. The Louvre held an entirety of art history, and its crowded walls offered a bounty of choices for diverse study by both men and, as Béroud depicts in the present work, women copyists.  The hard-working pair have taken a break from their study in front of Jean-Baptiste Greuze's La Latière (The Milkmaid), farthest to the left, and La cruche cassée (The Broken Pitcher), on the right, with Antoine Watteau's L'embarguqment pour Cythère in the center.