Antoine Rivalz

Madame Lenglier;

Her deceased sale, Paris, Lebrun, 10 March 1788, lot 252, for 261 livres;

Acquired circa 30 years ago by the present owner.

A. J. Dézallier d’Argenville, Supplément à l’Abrégé de la Vie des Peintres, Paris 1752, p. 300;

S. Loire et al., La Collection Motais de Narbonne, Paris 2010, exh. cat., under cat. no. 19.

We are grateful to François Marandet for proposing an attribution to Antoine Rivalz (Toulous 1667-1735), on the basis of digital images.

Following his studies in Paris, Marseille and Rome, Antoine Rivalz returned to his native Toulouse in 1702 where he quickly became the leading local artist. His greatest achievement in Toulouse was the completion of the decoration of the town hall for which he painted five monumental canvases (today in the Musée des Augustins, Toulouse). 

Marandet highlights the similarities between the present work and two others by the artist: the Death of Arria (today in the Motais de Narbonne collection)¹ and Cimon and Pero (Boussuet Museum, Meaux)². All three paintings depict only two figures, show close-up visions of the scene and are of identical dimensions, strongly suggesting they formed part of a set. Marandet also suggests that a smaller picture depicting the Death of Cleopatra (sold in Paris, Piasa, 18 December 2002, lot 66)³ is related to the set and was likely executed in preparation for it.

¹ https://www.flickriver.com/photos/89235234@N00/33578712158/

² https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rivalz_-_La_Charit%C3%A9.jpg

³ https://piasa.auction.fr/_en/lot/antoine-rivaltz-toulouse-1667-1735-cleopatre-503877#.YHazn-hKiUk