- 148
Pierre-Antoine Demachy
Estimate
7,000 - 9,000 USD
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Description
- Pierre-Antoine Demachy
- Robespierre and his accomplices being led to their execution
- Brown wash over black chalk within black chalk framing lines on cardboard;
inscribed below in black chalk: Robespierre mené au Supplice - 2 7/8 x 4 5/8 inches
Provenance
Private Collection, until 1986,
when acquired by the present owner
when acquired by the present owner
Exhibited
New York, Wildenstein, The Winds of Revolution, 1989-1990, no. 85
Condition
Hinged to the mount at the upper margin. Some yellow/brown staining around the borders of the actual drawing. Brown wash and black chalk remains strong.
Sold in a 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
As the Reign of Terror continued, Robespierre attempted to introduce a new state religion, known as the Cult of the Supreme Being. A celebration to mark the inauguration of this event took place on 8 June 1794, with an enormous festival, organised by Jacques Louis David, on the Champ de Mars, a scene portrayed in a painting by Pierre-Antoine Demachy, now in the Musée Carnavalet, Paris.1 Within two months of this event Robespierre was, however, dead, having been executed on 28 July 1794, after his arrest by supporters of the Convention. Once again Demachy was on hand to record this historic event. In the present work the artist portrays Robespierre and two of his accomplices being led through the Place de la Révolution towards the guillotine, clearly visible in the background. Robespierre can be seen with his jaw bandaged, having tried to shoot himself before his arrest the previous day, as innumerable onlookers watch as the Terror is finally brought to an end.
1. Musée Carnavalet, Paris, Inv. no. P.81