Jean-Baptiste Mallet

Laid down on card, which is in turn hinged to an old board. Some very minor abrasions to areas of the sheet, particularly to its extremities. Otherwise in predominantly good condition with the medium fresh. Sold in a giltwood 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.

Mallet, who exhibited at the Paris Salon from 1791 to 1824, carried the thriving 18th-century tradition of gouache painting through well into the 19th century, and was his generation's leading exponent of depictions in this medium of elegant interiors with social - often amorous - encounters.

The present work offers a glimpse into the household of a fashionable and affluent pair of young newlyweds, nonchalantly receiving guests.  A second version of the composition by Mallet exists in the collection of the Musée Cognacq-Jay, Paris.  For an up to date summary of his career, see Margaret Morgan Grasselli, Renaissance to Revolution, French Drawings from the National Gallery of Art, 1500-1800, exhib. cat., Washington, D.C., National Gallery of Art, 2009-10, p. 268.