Thodore Gricault (1791-1824)

Boxeurs

Details

Thodore Gricault (1791-1824)
Boxeurs
lithograph, 1818, on wove paper, second (final) state, a good impression of this very rare print, printed by C. Motte, with margins, a small skinned spot to the right thigh of the boxer on the right, another similar spot to the lower right foreground, water-staining to the lower margin, extending just into the subject, pale discoloration in the left and right margins, unobtrusive soft handling creases, pale surface dirt on the reverse
L. 353 x 417mm.; S. 395 x 495mm.

Literature

Delteil 10

Lot Essay

Gricault became interested in the theme of boxing before his visit to England, where it was very popular. It was not legal, however, and clandestine fights took place in alehouses or in fields, as in this depiction. The two protagonists may have been Gricault's young disciples Montfort and Lehoux. The design reflects Marco da Ravenna's engraving Entellus and Dares which the artist may have seen in Rome. He made a number of studies for this composition, showing the care he took before executing the lithograph

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