Lot Essay
This work does not appear in the 1885 'catalogue' of the Berchère collection, but it is mentioned by Baillechache who describes it as being a "long sketch","framed in barometer frame." According to Mathieu, the signature and date make it one of Moreau's earliest works but were probably added later (perhaps at the request of the buyer during the Berchère Studio sale) since the handwriting corresponds to that of the artist's work of the 1880s. The thick and romantic treatment of the painting and its appearance of being painted on a piece of a floorboard, suggest that it could have been done in the 1850s during the time that Moreau first befriended the orientalist painter Narcisse Berchère who was to he his lifelong supporter.
This work will be included in the forthcoming Nouveau catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre de Gustave Moreau being prepared by Pierre-Louis Mathieu.
We are grateful to Pierre-Louis Mathieu for his assistance in preparing this catalogue entry.
This work will be included in the forthcoming Nouveau catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre de Gustave Moreau being prepared by Pierre-Louis Mathieu.
We are grateful to Pierre-Louis Mathieu for his assistance in preparing this catalogue entry.