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THOMAS BLANCHET | Domine, quo vadis? (Christ appearing to St. Peter on the Appian Way)
Estimate
25,000 - 35,000 EUR
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Description
- Thomas Blanchet
- Domine, quo vadis? (Christ appearing to St. Peter on the Appian Way)
- Red chalk and wash, heightened with white, within red chalk framing lines, squared for transfer in black chalk;bears two old attributions, verso: Van Dyck and an old numbering in brown ink, verso: a. 64
- 292 x 215 mm
Provenance
Collection Robelot (L.2141) ;
Acquis par Jacques Petithory (1929-1992) à Bordeaux en 1968, n°140 de la collection Petithory ;
Acquis par échange en novembre 1982.
Acquis par Jacques Petithory (1929-1992) à Bordeaux en 1968, n°140 de la collection Petithory ;
Acquis par échange en novembre 1982.
Exhibited
Rennes, 2012, n°40 (notice par Aude Henry-Gobet) ;
Sceaux, 2013 (sans catalogue)
Sceaux, 2013 (sans catalogue)
Literature
L. Galactéros-de Boissier, Thomas Blanchet (1614-1689), thèse de doctorat, Lyon 1982, CD 68 ;
L. Galactéros-de Boissier, Thomas Blanchet (1614-1689), Paris, 1991, pp.434-435, D 77, fig.348, repr.
L. Galactéros-de Boissier, Thomas Blanchet (1614-1689), Paris, 1991, pp.434-435, D 77, fig.348, repr.
Condition
Hinge mounted to a modern mount. There are two very minor horizontal creases to the lower and upper edge of the sheet and some very minor abrasions to the sheet when viewed under raking light. The drawing remains in otherwise very fine condition with the medium fresh and vibrant throughout and the image strong. Sold 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."
"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 beautiful sheet, drawn in red chalk and heightened with white, is related to a second drawing by Blanchet of the same subject in the collection of the Nationalmuseum, Stockholm.1 The Stockholm sheet is executed in a combination of red chalk and grey ink and wash, and adopts an almost identical composition to that of the Adrien drawing, with the addition of a choir of angels above the figure of Christ. The subject depicted is Christ appearing to St. Peter, often described using its Latin title: Domine, quo vadis? (Lord, where are you going?). The narrative, which is rarely depicted in the Western canon, was recorded by St. Ambrose in one of his sermons and depicts the moment when St. Peter, having escaped prison in Rome, encounters a vision of Christ carrying His Cross. In answer to St. Peter’s question, Christ replies that he is going to Rome to be crucified a second time. At these words, Peter understands that he must accept martyrdom and therefore returns to Rome where he is subsequently crucified.
The composition employed by Blanchet in both the Adrien and Stockholm sheets is carefully derived from Annibale Carracci’s painting of the same subject (Fig.1), dating to circa 1601-02, originally commissioned by Cardinal Pietro Aldobrandini, and now in the National Gallery, London. Blanchet inverts the central group, preserving the colonnade on the right, but amends the background from the broad landscape depicted by Carracci, by adding an archway behind the two main protagonists. This architectural addition by Blanchet and the resulting reduction of perspective helps the viewer to focus with greater intensity on the figures of Christ and St. Peter, who are further enhanced with the subtle application of white heightening, imbuing the drawing with a sense of theatricality as well as an overwhelming sense of pathos.
1. Galactéros-de Boissier, op. cit.,1991, p. 434, no. D 76, fig. 347, reproduced
The composition employed by Blanchet in both the Adrien and Stockholm sheets is carefully derived from Annibale Carracci’s painting of the same subject (Fig.1), dating to circa 1601-02, originally commissioned by Cardinal Pietro Aldobrandini, and now in the National Gallery, London. Blanchet inverts the central group, preserving the colonnade on the right, but amends the background from the broad landscape depicted by Carracci, by adding an archway behind the two main protagonists. This architectural addition by Blanchet and the resulting reduction of perspective helps the viewer to focus with greater intensity on the figures of Christ and St. Peter, who are further enhanced with the subtle application of white heightening, imbuing the drawing with a sense of theatricality as well as an overwhelming sense of pathos.
1. Galactéros-de Boissier, op. cit.,1991, p. 434, no. D 76, fig. 347, reproduced