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Lot Essay
Devis was a leading exponent of the Conversation Piece during the mid to late 18th Century; strongly influenced by French rococo artists such as Gravelot and Watteau and their paintings of pastoral groups. Devis was unique in practising this specialised genre throughout his career, whereas Gainsborough and Hogarth launched their career in this style, they established their reputations as practitioners of formal portrait painting or subjects pictures.
The present drawing is a study for a painting of two sitters, whose identities are unknown, sold in these Rooms, 6 April 1973, lot 102. This detailed compositional drawing is particularly interesting as it demonstrates the artist's ability to capture the individuality of his sitters and was probably drawn from life as an aid for his later work in the studio.
The present drawing is a study for a painting of two sitters, whose identities are unknown, sold in these Rooms, 6 April 1973, lot 102. This detailed compositional drawing is particularly interesting as it demonstrates the artist's ability to capture the individuality of his sitters and was probably drawn from life as an aid for his later work in the studio.