Charles-Nicolas Cochin* (1715-1790)

Ruggiero rescued by an Anchorite; and Ruggiero consoled by Leon, from Ariosto's Orlando Furioso

Details

Charles-Nicolas Cochin* (1715-1790)
Ruggiero rescued by an Anchorite; and Ruggiero consoled by Leon, from Ariosto's Orlando Furioso
signed and dated 'C.N. Cochin filius delin.1773.' (1 and 2) and inscribed 'ROGER EST RECUEILLI PAR UN S^.. ANACHORETE. Arioste ch XLI.' (1) and 'ROGER AU DESESPOIR EST CONSOLE PAR LEON. Arioste chant XLVI' (2) on the mounts
brown chalk
7¾ x 5½ in. (197 x 139 mm.)a pair (2)

Provenance

N. de Chazelles (L. 644a).

Engraved

(1)N. de Launay, for Ludovico Ariosto, Orlando Furioso, Birmingham, 1773, IV, p. 165, Canto XLI, Stanza XII.(2) by C.-N. Cochin, for Ludovico Ariosto, Orlando Furioso, Birmingham, 1773, IV, p. 339, Canto XLVI, Stanza XXVI.

Lot Essay

Finished studies for prints in an edition of Orlando Furioso published in England in 1774 and not in 1773 as indicated in the edition. Cochin's plates are dated 1774. Cochin only produced six of the plates while the remaining illustrations were provided by Cipriani, Moreau le Jeune, Eisen, Monnet and Greuze. The plates were re-used for the Brunet edition of Orlando Furioso, published in 1775-1783.
A preparatory drawing for Ruggiero consoled by Leon is in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, C. Michel, Charles-Nicolas Cochin et le livre illustré au XVIII^e siècle, Paris, 1987, p. 308.
The first drawing illustrates stanza LVII of canto XVI: 'Non era cento passi andato innante, Che vide d'anni e d'astinenze afflito, Uom que avea d'Eremita abito, e segno' the second one stanza XXVI of canto XLVI 'Giacea disteso en terra tutto armato Con l'elmo in testa, e della spada cinto, E guancia dello scudo s'avea fatto'.