François Dubois

Sotheby's, New York, October 25, 2005, lot 52;
Acquired from the above sale by the present owner.

The canvases are lined. The surfaces are in good overall condition. There is pressed craquelure throughout. Under UV;
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.

Believed to have been commissioned for a French country estate, Dubois' Allegories of the Four Continents are more than interior decoration; the quartet reflects wealthy Europeans' global influence and fascination with exploration, conquest and colonization. Before the sixteenth century, the world was pictured as a great circle divided in half: one part represented by Europe and Africa while the other Asia. Dramatically expanding world views in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries further divided the circle into four quarters, introducing the Americas and allowing Asia and Africa each a distinct visual identity. By the nineteenth century the four Allegories were immediately recognizable on maps, in history books, popular newspapers, architecture and the impressive paintings of Salon and Academy artists. Celebrated for his historical and mythological subjects, Dubois follows contemporary conventions by depicting Europe as a woman warrior, an Artemis or Amazon queen with Western weapons of conquest: a horse, sword, rifle and cannon. In contrast to Europe's armor, her fellow Allegories of more exotic lands are nearly nude with only loosely draped cloth accentuating their curves. Asia is the most modest of the three, her back to the viewer, revealing her creamy skin in an odalisque pose, holding a peacock feather fan and joined by a finely crafted incense burner and domesticated camel. Reflecting the alluring mystery of more unknown lands, the Americas and Africa hold tomahawk and hunting arrows respectively, companioned with equally emblematic animals – a lizard and parrot and a resting lion. Both are equal parts Classical queen and "real" native, with ethnographic features, dressed in tribal feathers or crafted jewelry as described by travelers to foreign lands.