- 260
Jean Baptiste Jacques Augustin
Estimate
12,000 - 18,000 USD
bidding is closed
Description
- Jean Baptiste Jacques Augustin
- A lady seated by a keyboard, holding a letter
- Black chalk and stumping, heightened with white, within drawn margins;
inscribed, on the letter: Bordeaux 20/j'espere ma chere.../paris du premier au dix germi[nal]/je soufre encor de ma/Douleur mais je le/supporterai avec plus/du patience quand je/penserai que chaque minutes me rapprochent/de toi', and bears inscription, lower left margin: J B Isabey
Condition
Overall condition good. Some slight foxing, and a little surface dirt in the margin. Sold in a modern carved and gilded frame.
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.
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.
Catalogue Note
Augustin was a very successful portraitist, specializing in miniatures but also making large chalk works like this fine example. He was a contemporary of Isabey, so the attribution inscribed in the margin is not surprising. A Portrait of a Man, very similar in handling and in the description of the facial features, was sold London, Christie's, 2 July 1996, lot 281. A beautiful miniature showing him and members of his family in profile like an antique cameo, is in the St. Louis Museum.1
1. Pierre Rosenberg, French Master Drawings of the 17th & 18th centuries in North American collections, London 1972, p. 127, fig. 139; p. 131, no. 3
1. Pierre Rosenberg, French Master Drawings of the 17th & 18th centuries in North American collections, London 1972, p. 127, fig. 139; p. 131, no. 3