Jacques-Louis David

Eugène David (L. 839) and Jules David (L. 1437);
Sale, David, Paris, 17 April 1826 and following days;
Sale, Paris, Hôtel Drouot, 29-30 November 1989, lot 76 

Paris, Galerie Patrick Perrin, Dessins de maîtres IV, De Callot à Tiepolo, 1990, no. 29, reproduced

Pierre Rosenberg and Louis-Antoine Prat, Jacques-Louis David 1748-1825, Catalogue raisonné des dessins, Milan 2002, vol. II,  p. 763, no.1222, reproduced

Overall condition very good and fresh. Colors much more evenly grey in the catalogue illustration- none of the blue/purple colors towards bottom are really there. Strip of Japan paper attached all around edges. Slightly discolored from this mounting in a narrow band on all four sides. Otherwise very good. Unframed.
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.

David was in Rome from November 1775 to July 1780, staying at the Académie de France, which at that time was housed in the Palazzo Mancini, in Via del Corso.  He drew extensively, copying classical sculptures and antiquities, making copies after old masters, and recording landscapes in Rome and outside the city.  Once he returned to France, he mounted the drawings in two albums, organized by subjects.  After David's death in 1825, it appears that his sons Jules and Eugène broke up the original albums and reorganized them into twelve different albums, probably to make them more saleable.  At this time they must have added their paraphes to confirm the authenticity of the drawings (see Provenance).  The present sheet is part of a number of isolated drawings once part of one of the albums or taken out before the sale in 1826.  For a complete and fascinating discussion of the composition and the history of these albums, see Literature.

A calque of the present sheet was sold in Lyon, 9 June 1967 (see Literature).