Lot Essay
A preparatory study for the painting Joseph and Potiphar's Wife (fig. 1) of 1737 , sold at Sotheby's, New York, 1 June 1990, lot 98, illustrated. The drawing differs considerably from the painting, particularly in the pose of Potiphar's wife either for reasons of decorum or because the artist decided to add the richly decorated bed cover to show off his virtuouso handling of paint and colour.
Only a few drawings by the artist are known, which is particularly striking considering de Troy's position as one of the major history painters of the 18th Century in France. Although he received an academic training from his father François, Jean-François never adhered to the rigorous method of preparatory drawing initiated by Charles Lebrun. This may explain why the artist never won any prizes at the Academy and travelled to Italy at his family's expense. His bravura mastery of paint was soon recognised by his contemporaries and he became one of the most successful history painters of the age, only challenged by his arch-rival François Lemoyne. Their bitter rivalry forced them into entrenched positions regarding their respective methods; Lemoyne championed the academic style and meticulously prepared his pictures with numerous preparatory drawings, while de Troy was described by the Comte de Caylus in the following terms: 'it was enough for him to conceive a composition in his mind to throw it on the canvas and later arrange a background to that composition', A. Fontaine, Comte de Caylus, Vies d'artistes du XVIIIème siècle. Discours sur la peinture et la sculpture Salons de 1751 et de 1753, lettre à Lagrenée, Paris, 1910, p. 34. This flamboyant technique explains why so few drawings by de Troy are known. His refusal to adhere to academic practice was criticised by contemporaries such as Mariette, and probably lost him the position of Premier Peintre de Roy. Instead, in 1738 he became Director of the Academy in Rome. The appointment in 1752 of Madame de Pompadour's brother, the Marquis de Marigny, the champion of Academic painting, led to his dismissal as Director and eventual disgrace. Criticism of his working methods continued after his death, Dezallier d'Argenville in his opening remarks on the artist's life wrote: 'had Jean-François de Troy added serious study to his natural creative talent and genius, he might have been remembered as the greatest French painter who ever lived', A. Dezallier d'Argenville, Abrégé de la vie des plus fameux peintres, Paris, 1762, IV, p. 365.
Despite the rarity of de Troy's drawings, their diversity suggests he drew for a variety of reasons. An impressive study of the Death of Hippolytus at Darmstadt is comparable in technique to that of the present sheet, and is presumably also a preparatory study, R. Bacou, I Grandi Disegni, il Settecento Francese, Milan, 1970, pl. XIX. A study for the head of a nymph in the painting of Pan and Syrinx of 1733 sold at Finarte, Milan, drawn in coloured chalks on blue paper (sold at Christie's, New York, 10 January 1989, lot 119, illustrated in colour) proves that de Troy made individual studies for some of his figures. A large blue wash drawing with Gallerie Cailleux, after one of the cartoons for L'Histoire de Jason was presumably intended for the engraver. The rediscovery of the present sheet suggests that the rôle of drawing in De Troy's creative process may previously have been underestimated
Only a few drawings by the artist are known, which is particularly striking considering de Troy's position as one of the major history painters of the 18th Century in France. Although he received an academic training from his father François, Jean-François never adhered to the rigorous method of preparatory drawing initiated by Charles Lebrun. This may explain why the artist never won any prizes at the Academy and travelled to Italy at his family's expense. His bravura mastery of paint was soon recognised by his contemporaries and he became one of the most successful history painters of the age, only challenged by his arch-rival François Lemoyne. Their bitter rivalry forced them into entrenched positions regarding their respective methods; Lemoyne championed the academic style and meticulously prepared his pictures with numerous preparatory drawings, while de Troy was described by the Comte de Caylus in the following terms: 'it was enough for him to conceive a composition in his mind to throw it on the canvas and later arrange a background to that composition', A. Fontaine, Comte de Caylus, Vies d'artistes du XVIIIème siècle. Discours sur la peinture et la sculpture Salons de 1751 et de 1753, lettre à Lagrenée, Paris, 1910, p. 34. This flamboyant technique explains why so few drawings by de Troy are known. His refusal to adhere to academic practice was criticised by contemporaries such as Mariette, and probably lost him the position of Premier Peintre de Roy. Instead, in 1738 he became Director of the Academy in Rome. The appointment in 1752 of Madame de Pompadour's brother, the Marquis de Marigny, the champion of Academic painting, led to his dismissal as Director and eventual disgrace. Criticism of his working methods continued after his death, Dezallier d'Argenville in his opening remarks on the artist's life wrote: 'had Jean-François de Troy added serious study to his natural creative talent and genius, he might have been remembered as the greatest French painter who ever lived', A. Dezallier d'Argenville, Abrégé de la vie des plus fameux peintres, Paris, 1762, IV, p. 365.
Despite the rarity of de Troy's drawings, their diversity suggests he drew for a variety of reasons. An impressive study of the Death of Hippolytus at Darmstadt is comparable in technique to that of the present sheet, and is presumably also a preparatory study, R. Bacou, I Grandi Disegni, il Settecento Francese, Milan, 1970, pl. XIX. A study for the head of a nymph in the painting of Pan and Syrinx of 1733 sold at Finarte, Milan, drawn in coloured chalks on blue paper (sold at Christie's, New York, 10 January 1989, lot 119, illustrated in colour) proves that de Troy made individual studies for some of his figures. A large blue wash drawing with Gallerie Cailleux, after one of the cartoons for L'Histoire de Jason was presumably intended for the engraver. The rediscovery of the present sheet suggests that the rôle of drawing in De Troy's creative process may previously have been underestimated