- 159
Jean-Baptiste Jouvenet
Estimate
7,000 - 9,000 USD
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Description
- Jean-Baptiste Jouvenet
- Study of an Angel
- Black chalk, heightened with white chalk on gray paper, squared for transfer in black chalk
- 304 by 200 mm; 12 by 7 7/8 in
Condition
Hinge mounted to a modern mount. The sheet has been laid down to a sheet of buff paper, which has previously been partly adhered to an old mount. There is a small nick to the lower half of the left edge and some minor stains along the left and right edges. There is also a small dark brown stain to the upper right edge. The black chalk medium remains fresh and vibrant throughout. 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.
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
The present work, depicting a drapery clad male angel, his hands clasped together in prayer whilst his right knee rests on a Celestial cloud, is a characteristic example of Jouvenet’s energetic handling of the black chalk medium. The artist has also, as he was frequently prone to, used white chalk to heighten the luminous qualities of the angelic figure. Though it has thus far not been possible to directly connect the angel with one of the artist’s painted compositions, the figure type is highly consistent, both in his appearance and artistic function, to other angels that feature prominently in some of the artist’s most important surviving works. In particular one can draw a close comparison to the angel in the upper right corner of Jouvenet's composition depicting St. Peter Healing the Sick with His Shadow, housed in the Chapel of the Laennec Hospital, Paris,1 as well as a similar angel who appears in the lower right corner of The Apotheosis of St. John, in the collection of the Musée des Beaux-Arts, Rouen.2
Stylistically the present drawing is also highly comparable in its handling to some of the small number of surviving figure studies by the artist. The charming pentimento to the face of the angel can be closely compared to a much more loosely drawn figure of A man with his arms upraised, in Stockholm,3 in which Jouvenet’s very distinctive and economical way of drawing the figure’s eyes is perhaps most apparent. A similar stylistic comparison can also be drawn between the way in which Jouvenet handles the billowing folds of drapery, between the present work and a drawing of A seated female figure, in the collection of the Musée du Louvre, Paris.4
1. See A. Schnapper, Jean Jouvenet et la peinture d'histoire à Paris, Paris 1974, pp. 184-5, no. 8, reproduced, fig. 6
2. Ibid., p. 210, no. 104, reproduced, fig. 107
3. Ibid., pp. 230-1, no. 185, reproduced, fig. 131
4. Ibid., pp. 226-7, no. 160, reproduced, fig. 52
Stylistically the present drawing is also highly comparable in its handling to some of the small number of surviving figure studies by the artist. The charming pentimento to the face of the angel can be closely compared to a much more loosely drawn figure of A man with his arms upraised, in Stockholm,3 in which Jouvenet’s very distinctive and economical way of drawing the figure’s eyes is perhaps most apparent. A similar stylistic comparison can also be drawn between the way in which Jouvenet handles the billowing folds of drapery, between the present work and a drawing of A seated female figure, in the collection of the Musée du Louvre, Paris.4
1. See A. Schnapper, Jean Jouvenet et la peinture d'histoire à Paris, Paris 1974, pp. 184-5, no. 8, reproduced, fig. 6
2. Ibid., p. 210, no. 104, reproduced, fig. 107
3. Ibid., pp. 230-1, no. 185, reproduced, fig. 131
4. Ibid., pp. 226-7, no. 160, reproduced, fig. 52