Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo

Collection Victor Luzarches (1803-1869), Tours;
Roger Cormier, Tours;
Vente, Paris, Galerie Georges Petit, 30 avril 1921, no. 79;
Acquis à cette vente par la famille de l'actuel propriétaire.

Ch. Conrad, Die grossformatigen religiösen Zeichnungen Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo, Ph. D. dissertation, Université de Heidelberg, 1996, no. 224 (comme probablement 'Actes, 19:11');
A. M. Gealt et G. Knox, Domenico Tiepolo, A New Testament, Bloomington & Indianapolis, 2006, p. 384, cat. no. 154, reproduit p. 385.

The following condition report has been provided by Caroline Corrigan, 17-25 rue Charles Graindorge, 93170 Bagnolet, Tel: 33 (0)1 43 63 25 44, Email : caroline.corrigan@wanadoo.fr, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. Good overall condition. The white colours and lightening are created by the paper left appearent, paper which is always very white and of exceptional quality in Tiepolo's work. There are some traces of foxing in the sky, which should not move if the preservation condition is respected. Light stains in the four corners due to glue.
"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."

Giandomenico Tiepolo illustre dans ce dessin une scène tirée de l'Evangile selon saint Luc. Le Christ, debout devant les remparts de la ville, guérit les dix lépreux dont certains, agenouillés, semblent lui témoigner leur éternelle reconnaissance :

" En se rendant à Jérusalem, il lui arriva de passer sur les confins de la Samarie et de la Galilée; et, comme il entrait dans un village, il rencontra dix lépreux qui se tenaient à distance et qui lui crièrent: 'Jésus, Maître, aie pitié de nous.' Jésus les ayant vus, leur dit: 'Allez vous montrer aux prêtres' ; et en y allant, ils furent nettoyés de leur lèpre. L'un d'eux, se voyant guéri, revint sur ses pas, glorifiant Dieux à haute voix ; il se jeta aux pieds de Jésus, la face contre terre, et lui rendit grâce : c'était un Samaritain. Alors Jésus dit: 'Tous les dix n'ont-ils pas été rendus nets? Où sont les neuf autres? Il ne s'est trouvé que cet étranger qui soit revenu donner gloire à Dieu?' Et il lui dit: 'Lève-toi, va ; ta foi t'a guéri'." 
(Luc, 17: 11-19)

Ce sujet est propre à saint Luc et n'apparaît dans aucun autre évangile. Le personnage central identifié comme le Christ a été remis en question et confondu avec saint Paul au cours de la vente Cormier. Cependant, il s'agit de la seule figure auréolée de la composition et on compte en effet près de dix hommes mutilés autour de celle-ci, ce qui nous rattache à ce passage précis de la Bible où le Christ guérit les lépreux. D'autre part, on note un détail intéressant : le disciple qui porte une tunique rayée à la gauche du Christ apparaît dans les dessins où Tiepolo se réfère spécifiquement à un épisode de l'Evangile de saint Luc.


THE HEALING OF THE LEPERS

Signed lower left and right
Pen and brown ink, brown wash, black chalk

Giandomenico Tiepolo illustrates in this drawing a scene from St. Luke's Gospel. Christ, standing before the walls of the city, heals the ten lepers; some of them kneel before him, in apparent recognition of their eternal gratitude :

" And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass that, as they went, there were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he saw a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole. "  (Luke, 17: 11-19)

This subject is unique to St. Luke, appearing in none of the other Gospels. At the time of the Cormier sale, the identity of the central figure was called into question ; it was suggested that he might represent St. Paul, rather than Christ. Yet the composition clearly depicts one central figure who has a halo, surrounded by ten mutilated men, so there can be no question that the biblical passage illustrated here is the one in which Christ heals the lepers. There is also another noteworthy detail : the disciple wearing a striped tunic standing to Christ's left, appears in the drawings where the artist refers specifically to an episode from St. Luke's Gospel.