THÉODORE GÉRICAULT | Man lying down

oil on canvas

Collection Binder, Paris ;
Huntington Hartford, New York ;
Raymond Charmet, Paris, circa1954 ;
Vente, Palais Galliera, Paris, 3 June 1975, n°22 ;
Jean Davray, Paris ;
Galerie de France, Paris ;
Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, purchased at the above in 1989

Paris, Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, Le nu à travers les âges, 1954, n°23 ;
Paris, Galerie Claude Aubry, Géricault dans les collections privées françaises, November - December 1964 (out of the catalogue)

C. Clément, La Gazette des Beaux-Arts, March 1867, p. 221 ;
C. Clément, La Gazette des Beaux-Arts, September 1867, n°8 ;
C. Clément, Géricault : Etude biographique et critique avec le catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre du maître, Paris, 1868 and 1879, p. 35 ; and p. 279, n°11 in the catalogue raisonné ;
L. Eitner, "Deux oeuvres inconnues de Géricault" in Bulletin des Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts, June 1953, p. 56, note 3 ;
L. Eitner, Supplément au catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre de Géricault par C. Clément, Paris, 1973, p. 447, n°11 ;
P. Grunchec, Tout l'oeuvre peint de Géricault, Paris, 1978, pp. 112-113, n°162, illustrated ;
L. Eitner, "The Literature of Art" in Burlington Magazine, March 1980, p. 210 ;
G. Bazin, Théodore Géricault : étude critique, documents et catalogue raisonné, Paris, 1987, vol. II, pp. 268, 274, 361, n°116, illustrated

- relined - the matter seems used in some areas, due to the relining : the canvas is visible in some areas, especially on the body, the face and the arms of the model - chip missing upper left visible on photography - three minor knicks scattered on the surface - a few scratches barely visible scattered on the surface Under UV light : - minor restorations by the borders - a certain number of areas fluoresce lightly but may actually be old restorations
"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 painting is dated by Clément and Bazin as belonging to the early works. Philippe Grunchec believes it dates from a later period and that it was probably one of the first ideas for le Radeau de la Méduse (Musée du Louvre, Paris) where one of the characters has a similar posture. Géricault took his subject from a terrible event that took place in 1816: the shipwreck of La Méduse, a royal ship transporting 150 soldiers, of whom only 10 survived. The painter made many preparatory drawings and sketches, studying the best positions and expressions for the painting that he already understood to be a masterpiece, even before he had found its general aspect.

According to Philippe Grunchec, the model used here was Louis-Alexis Jamar. Géricault's young and faithful assistant, Jamar is recognizable due to his prominent shoulder blades and his head of thick black hair (see the illustration below). Here, Gericault shows his remarkable skill in the modeling of the body, using colours and light to show muscles and movement. In the accomplished painting, Jamar is still lying on his stomach, but already dead and foreshortened.

We would like to thank Monsieur Philippe Grunchec for the information he kindly gave us.