Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier

Artist's studio sale, Paris, Chevallier Duchesne, 12–15 and 18–20 May 1893, lot 334, for 1850 francs;
Anonymous sale, London, Christie's, 18 November 1994, lot 190.

The panel is flat and uncradled. There are two additions to the top and bottom of the panel for structural support, joined with a dove tail joint. There is one 1 x 0.5 cm loss in the rider's proper right shoulder. Ultra violet inspection reveals an even varnish and no restoration. The work is unframed.
"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."

This fluid sketch by the celebrated Napoleonic painter Meissonier probably served as a study for a painting he exhibited at the Salon in 1878 entitled Antibes. La Promenade à Cheval now at the Musée d'Orsay, Paris.¹ The same horse can also be identified in Un Général et son Aide-de-Camp of 1879 in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and again in Le Guide of 1874, in the collection of the Yale University Art Gallery.²

1. See P. Samsovici et al., Ernest Meissonier: rétrospective, exh. cat., Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon, 25 March – 27 June 1993, p. 150, no. 74.
2. See Samsovici 1993, p. 199, figs 7 and 8.