Lot 120
  • 120

Charles de la Fosse

Estimate
18,000 - 22,000 GBP
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Description

  • Charles de La Fosse
  • Study of the head, torso and left arm of a male figure and a separate study of his head in profile
  • Red and black chalk with traces of white heightening, on buff paper;
    bears numbering in pen and brown ink, verso: 1340

Provenance

Peter Wick, Boston

Condition

Window mounted. Overall chalk fresh and in quite good condition. Some surface dirt towards the margins and a few light grey stains throughout.
"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."

Catalogue Note

This bold, powerful drawing is an example of De La Fosse's figure style at its very best.  The artist has used the sheet to great effect creating a very pleasing mise en page.  As with the majority of his sketches, De La Fosse’s careful placement of studies often translates to a successful pictorial composition. 

It has not been possible to establish a definite link between these studies and any known painting by the artist, but it has been suggested that this may be a preparatory study for one of the subsidiary figures in the painting of Saint Matthew, now in the Musée des Arts decoratifs, Paris, originally commissioned for one of the pendentives of the dome in the L’eglise des Invalides, executed between 1702 and 1706.1  Whilst this connection seems plausible, numerous figures with arms raised inhabit De La Fosse’s paintings, making this specific link quite difficult to confirm.

1. C. Gustin-Gomez, Charles de la Fosse 1636-1716, Dijon 2006, vol. II, p. 109, no. P. 159