- 33
Charles-Joseph Natoire
Estimate
20,000 - 30,000 USD
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Description
- Charles-Joseph Natoire
- The procession of Silenus
- Red chalk and colored washes, on three main sheets of paper, further extended by the artist at the left and top edges
Provenance
Sale, London, Christie's, 6 July 1993, lot 135,
where acquired by the late Jan Krugier
where acquired by the late Jan Krugier
Exhibited
Venice, Peggy Guggenheim Collection, The Timeless Eye. Master Drawings from the Jan and Marie-Anne Krugier-Poniatowski Collection, 1999, p. 140, no. 63, reproduced in color, p.141;
Madrid, Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Miradas sin Tiempo. Dibujos, Pinturas y Esculturas de la Coleccion Jan y Marie-Anne Krugier-Poniatowski, 2000, p. 172, no. 70, reproduced in color, p. 173
Madrid, Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Miradas sin Tiempo. Dibujos, Pinturas y Esculturas de la Coleccion Jan y Marie-Anne Krugier-Poniatowski, 2000, p. 172, no. 70, reproduced in color, p. 173
Literature
Linie, Licht und Schatten, Meisterzeichnungen und Skulpturen der Sammlung Jan und Marie-Anne Krugier-Poniatowski, exhib. cat., Berlin 1999, reproduced p. 413;
S. Caviglia-Brunel, Charles-Joseph Natoire, Paris 2012, p. 437, no. D. 611 (the image of the present drawing has been mistakenly used also for no D. 609 and reproduced in color p. 164)
S. Caviglia-Brunel, Charles-Joseph Natoire, Paris 2012, p. 437, no. D. 611 (the image of the present drawing has been mistakenly used also for no D. 609 and reproduced in color p. 164)
Condition
Laid down on a light board within black framing lines, this is laid onto another modern board. Two of the verticals joints and the ones at the top and right end side are visible. Some damage in the lower part of the right margin where in a few places the drawing has detached from the board resulting in some small losses. Some small water stains in the sky just above the donkey's head and nearby satyr. A light stain on the left leg of Silenus not very visible. Some scattered creases in the paper and some abrasion around the margins, especially to the left at the top and around the corner. Some surface dirt but overall colosr are strong. Sold mounted and framed in an old French 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
Natoire was strongly drawn to themes like this, which allowed him to create elaborate compositions with classical subjects, inspired by the antique and also, in this case, by Annibale Carracci's Triumph of Bacchus and Ariadne from the ceiling decorations of the Palazzo Farnese, Rome. In 1747 he contributed a Triumph of Bacchus to a competition organized by the Académie Royale, Paris, and Bacchanals continued to feature prominently in his works throughout his career, especially after he was nominated director of the French Academy in Rome. These subjects not only allowed Natoire to champion historical themes, which he probably felt were losing ground at the time to less elevated and ambitious subjects, but also gave him full rein to demonstrate all his abundant facility as a draughtsman.
This drawing seems to have been executed as one of a pair, together with another Bacchanal1; both drawings appear to be autograph versions, with differences, of two other watercolors by the artist, one of which is in the Fogg Museum, Cambridge, Mass. (inv. 1957.51).2
1 S. Caviglia-Brunel, op. cit., p. 437, no. D. 610, reproduced
2 Idem, pp. 436-437, reproduced; for an image of the pendant, see J. Peignot, 'Mes Dessins,' Connaissance des Arts, 1966, no. 175, reproduced p. 89, fig. 5