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Lot Essay
Cette gouache et la suivante sont une addition précieuse au corpus des oeuvres de François Boucher et permettent de découvrir un pan mal connu de sa production artistique à savoir les paysages gouachés de petit-format, riccordi ou inspirés de ses compositions peintes de grandes dimensions. La gouache du J. Paul Getty Museum de Los Angeles représentant la Naissance de Vénus (inv. 2005.16), exposé au Salon de 1745 comme ‘esquisse à gouache’ est un parfait exemple. Plus comparable au présent dessin, signalons un Paysage signé, conservé au musée du Louvre (inv. RF 4266), et un second également signé apparu récemment sur le marché (Sotheby’s, New York, 31 janvier 2018, lot 178). Si les présentes feuilles ne sont pas signées, la palette de couleurs utilisées, la délicatesse et la précision de la touche permettent bien de les reconnaître comme des oeuvres de la même main, ce qui a été confirmé par Alastair Laing et François Joulie après examen visuel des oeuvres. Les quatre exemples que nous venons de citer sont pratiquement de la même dimension et possèdent tous un cadre doré en bronze sculpté, possiblement leur encadrement d’origine. Tout comme la gouache vendue en 2018 et le lot suivant, la composition du lot 86 correspond à une huile sur toile de plus grandes dimensions conservée au musée du Louvre (inv. RF 1962; A. Ananoff, François Boucher, Lausanne et Paris, 1976, II, n° 382, ill.). Cette peinture et son pendant, réalisés pour l’Hôtel de Rohan, sont datés 1751.
This and the following lot are important, highly seductive additions to an aspect of Boucher’s activity that was hitherto little known, that of small-scale gouaches, inspired by or repeating particularly successful compositions by his hand. One such work is a gouache at the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, depicting the Birth of Venus (inv. 2005.16), which was exhibited by the artist at the Salon of 1745 as ‘une esquisse à gouache’. But more closely related to the works under discussion here is a signed landscape at the Louvre (inv. RF 4266), and one, also signed, that came up on the market recently (Sotheby’s, New York, 31 January 2018, lot 178). While the present examples are not signed, they manifestly are by the same hand, capable of a delicacy of touch and an assured use of colour that can only be ascribed to the master himself, as both Alastair Laing and Françoise Joulie kindly confirmed upon examination of the originals. All four works have roughly similar dimensions and bronze frames, which may well be their original way of display. Just as the gouache sold in 2018, the composition of lot 86 corresponds to a canvas of larger size, specifically a painting at the Louvre (inv. RF 1962; see A. Ananoff, François Boucher, Lausanne et Paris, 1976, II, no. 382, ill.). This picture and its pendant (see under the following lot) are dated 1751 and were made for the Hôtel de Rohan.
This and the following lot are important, highly seductive additions to an aspect of Boucher’s activity that was hitherto little known, that of small-scale gouaches, inspired by or repeating particularly successful compositions by his hand. One such work is a gouache at the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, depicting the Birth of Venus (inv. 2005.16), which was exhibited by the artist at the Salon of 1745 as ‘une esquisse à gouache’. But more closely related to the works under discussion here is a signed landscape at the Louvre (inv. RF 4266), and one, also signed, that came up on the market recently (Sotheby’s, New York, 31 January 2018, lot 178). While the present examples are not signed, they manifestly are by the same hand, capable of a delicacy of touch and an assured use of colour that can only be ascribed to the master himself, as both Alastair Laing and Françoise Joulie kindly confirmed upon examination of the originals. All four works have roughly similar dimensions and bronze frames, which may well be their original way of display. Just as the gouache sold in 2018, the composition of lot 86 corresponds to a canvas of larger size, specifically a painting at the Louvre (inv. RF 1962; see A. Ananoff, François Boucher, Lausanne et Paris, 1976, II, no. 382, ill.). This picture and its pendant (see under the following lot) are dated 1751 and were made for the Hôtel de Rohan.