.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
Boilly is not very well-known as a miniaturist: only a few of his works on this scale are known today, generally portraits of great refinement painted on ivory. The present miniature reflects Boilly's passion for the study of facial expressions, most thoroughly explored in his famous series the 'Grimaces'. As in his trompe l'oeil paintings, Boilly tries in the present painting to play with the spectator's visual perception in the style of Archimboldo.
The present painting can also be associated with the ideas developed at Boilly's time by the famous Doctor Gall, whom he had probably met in one of the Salons-Caf in the Palais Royal. Gall had recently been in Germany studying the relationship between morphology and human character psychology. Given Boilly's well-known intention to be a chronicler of his age, his discussions with Gall resulted in his making occasional forays into caricature, and transformed him into one of the leading caricaturists of his time.
The present painting will be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonn of Boilly's paintings by Etienne Breton and Pascal Zuber.
The present painting can also be associated with the ideas developed at Boilly's time by the famous Doctor Gall, whom he had probably met in one of the Salons-Caf in the Palais Royal. Gall had recently been in Germany studying the relationship between morphology and human character psychology. Given Boilly's well-known intention to be a chronicler of his age, his discussions with Gall resulted in his making occasional forays into caricature, and transformed him into one of the leading caricaturists of his time.
The present painting will be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonn of Boilly's paintings by Etienne Breton and Pascal Zuber.