Bernard Picart (Paris 1673-1733 Amsterdam)

Design for an engraving: Night scene with the wigmaker, Brontin and Boirude, the sacristan, surprised by a night owl flying out of a lectern, from Le Lutrin

Details

Bernard Picart (Paris 1673-1733 Amsterdam)
Design for an engraving: Night scene with the wigmaker, Brontin and Boirude, the sacristan, surprised by a night owl flying out of a lectern, from Le Lutrin
signed 'B: Picart fecit'
pen and black ink, grey wash, heightened with white, indented for transfer, the verso blackened, the border on a separate sheet of paper attached to the drawing
29.4 x 20.3 cm. (the inner sheet 20.5 x 14.8 cm.)

Provenance

possibly Curt Otto (circa 1880-1929); C.G. Boerner, Leipzig, 7 November 1929, part of lot 167 ('ca. 35 Bl. Handzeichnungen meist älterer Meister [...] Picart [...]'); where purchased by I.Q. van Regteren Altena for 1 guilder (Inventory book: '804. t. B. Picart illustratie').

Engraved

In reverse by the artist in Oeuvres de Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux, published in Amsterdam, 1717-18, I, facing p. 350 (without cartouche) and in Oeuvres de Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux, published in Amsterdam, 1728-29, II, facing p. 142 (with cartouche).

Brought to you by

Harriet West

hwest@christies.com +442073892541

Lot Essay

From 1717-18 Picart contributed illustrations to Nicolas Boileau's Oeuvres published in Amsterdam. The present drawing, illustrates Canto III of Le Lutrin, a mock-heroic poem written by Boileau between 1674-83.

Fig. 1. Bernard Picart, Night scene with the wigmaker, Brontin, and Boirude the sacristan, surprised by a night owl flying out of a lectern, from Le Lutrin, engraving, edition from 1722, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

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