- 342
JEAN ANTOINE WATTEAU | Head of a young woman
Estimate
25,000 - 35,000 GBP
bidding is closed
Description
- Jean Antoine Watteau
- Head of a young woman
- Black and red chalk with touches of white heightening (partly oxidised);bears numbering in brown ink, top left: 36
- 69 by 60 mm
Provenance
Prince Lobanoff-Rostovsky (according to label on back of frame);
Pierre Defer (1798-1870), Paris (L.739),
by inheritance to his son-in-law Henri Dumesnil (1823-1898),
his sale, Paris, Hotel Drouot, 10-12 May 1900, lot 217 (1.950 francs, to Danlos);
private collection, England
Pierre Defer (1798-1870), Paris (L.739),
by inheritance to his son-in-law Henri Dumesnil (1823-1898),
his sale, Paris, Hotel Drouot, 10-12 May 1900, lot 217 (1.950 francs, to Danlos);
private collection, England
Literature
M. Morgan Grasselli, 'Eighteen Drawings by Antoine Watteau: A Chronological Study', Master Drawings, vol. 31, no. 2, 1993, pp. 119-20, no. 12, fig. 21;
P. Rosenberg and L. A. Prat, Antoine Watteau 1684-1721 Catalogue raisonné des dessins, vol. II, cat. 633, reproduced (recto and verso)
P. Rosenberg and L. A. Prat, Antoine Watteau 1684-1721 Catalogue raisonné des dessins, vol. II, cat. 633, reproduced (recto and verso)
Condition
Laid down. Light foxing and surface dirt, but chalk in generally good condition. Sold in a modern 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. 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
Much like lot 332, the present sheet, with its delicate handling, including soft touches of black chalk along the jaw and chin and in the hair, has been dated by Grasselli to 1717-19, while Rosenberg and Prat regard it as a fractionally later work of 1718-19 (see Literature). Though the drawing does not appear to connect to any of Watteau’s known paintings, it can be closely compared on stylistic grounds to drawings in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam1 and Fondation Custodia, Paris,2 both of which contain head studies used in a variety of paintings, including L’Embarquement pour Cythère3 and Plaisirs d’amour.4
1. Rosenberg and Prat, op. cit., pp. 752-3, no. 454, reproduced
2. K.T. Parker and J. Mathey, Antoine Watteau, catalogue complet de son oeuvre dessiné, 2 vols, Paris 1957, II, no. 744, reproduced
3. see G. Macchia, L'opera completa di Watteau, Milan 1968, pp. 117-118, cat. no. 185, reproduced
4. Dresden, Gemäldegalerie, inv. no. 782
1. Rosenberg and Prat, op. cit., pp. 752-3, no. 454, reproduced
2. K.T. Parker and J. Mathey, Antoine Watteau, catalogue complet de son oeuvre dessiné, 2 vols, Paris 1957, II, no. 744, reproduced
3. see G. Macchia, L'opera completa di Watteau, Milan 1968, pp. 117-118, cat. no. 185, reproduced
4. Dresden, Gemäldegalerie, inv. no. 782