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Lot Essay
This is one of a series of drawings David drew while in prison. He was arrested on 15 Thermidor An III (2 August 1794) as a member of the Comit de Salut Public headed by Maximilien Robespierre. Robespierre had been guillotined a few days before and David owed his own life to his absence from the Convention because of illness. The artist was imprisoned in the Htel des Fermes Gnrales, rue de Grenelle-Saint-Honor, for a month and then was transferred to the Luxembourg Castle. He was freed on 8 Nivse (28 December 1794).
The accusations of members of the Section du Museum and the riots of the Montagnards of 20-21 May led to a second prison sentence on 9 Prairial (28 May 1795). He was incarcerated in the Collge des Quatres-Nations. From prison David wrote a long exculpatory letter extensively transcribed in D. and G. Wildenstein, Documents complmentaires au catalogue de l'oeuvre de Louis David, Paris, 1973, document 1198. David was eventually released on 16 Thermidor (3 August 1795) and was granted an amnesty on 4 Brumaire (26 October).
He executed a series of portrait drawings of his fellow-prisoners during his second sojourn in prison. Apart from the present one, three others are known, all in public collections: Jeanbon Saint-Andr in Chicago (Paris, Muse du Louvre, David, 1989, no. 138), Andr-Bernard de Jeuzines, called Bernard de Saintes in the J.P. Getty Museum (N. Turner, Masterpieces in the J. Paul Getty Museum, Drawings, Los Angeles, 1997, no. 80) and Jean-Baptiste-Robert Lindet in the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa (exhibited by W.M. Brady, Master Drawings 1760-1890, New York, 1994, no. 7, illustrated). All the sitters were members of the Convention, arrested at the same time as David and jailed at the Collge des Quatres-Nations. The drawing in Chicago is inscribed by David on the mount 'Donum amicitiae. amoris solatium. David faciebat in vinculis anno R.P (1795) messidoris 20' which corresponds to 8 July. The portrait of Bernard de Saintes was done on 9 Thermidor (24 July), according to an inscription on the backing.
The drawings are all circular and of approximately the same size. They portray the sitter half-length in profile and in front of a wall. Three of these drawings, the present one and those of Lindet and Bernard de Saintes show the joints of the stones behind the sitters.
David drew at the same period two further portraits of the same size and format, one in the Louvre of Dubois Cranc and the other, in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, of Thirius de Pautrizel, both exhibited in Paris, Galerie nationales du Grand Palais, David, 1989, nos. 133-4, illustrated.
Barbeau Dubarran was born in Barran near Auch, in South West France, about 1750. He was elected to the Convention and became a member of the Comit de Securit Gnrale in October 1793, and a prsident of the Socit des Jacobins. He voted for the death of the King. On 9 Thermidor (27 July 1794), he turned against Robespierre and recommended advancing his execution. Later he tried to protect the members of the Comit de Salut Public. He was arrested on suspicion of having been one of the leaders of the riots that took place earlier on 1 Prairial (20 May 1794). The present drawing was probably made while Barbeau was imprisoned in the Collge des Quatres-Nations. He was granted an amnesty at the same time as David and died at Basel in 1816.
The accusations of members of the Section du Museum and the riots of the Montagnards of 20-21 May led to a second prison sentence on 9 Prairial (28 May 1795). He was incarcerated in the Collge des Quatres-Nations. From prison David wrote a long exculpatory letter extensively transcribed in D. and G. Wildenstein, Documents complmentaires au catalogue de l'oeuvre de Louis David, Paris, 1973, document 1198. David was eventually released on 16 Thermidor (3 August 1795) and was granted an amnesty on 4 Brumaire (26 October).
He executed a series of portrait drawings of his fellow-prisoners during his second sojourn in prison. Apart from the present one, three others are known, all in public collections: Jeanbon Saint-Andr in Chicago (Paris, Muse du Louvre, David, 1989, no. 138), Andr-Bernard de Jeuzines, called Bernard de Saintes in the J.P. Getty Museum (N. Turner, Masterpieces in the J. Paul Getty Museum, Drawings, Los Angeles, 1997, no. 80) and Jean-Baptiste-Robert Lindet in the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa (exhibited by W.M. Brady, Master Drawings 1760-1890, New York, 1994, no. 7, illustrated). All the sitters were members of the Convention, arrested at the same time as David and jailed at the Collge des Quatres-Nations. The drawing in Chicago is inscribed by David on the mount 'Donum amicitiae. amoris solatium. David faciebat in vinculis anno R.P (1795) messidoris 20' which corresponds to 8 July. The portrait of Bernard de Saintes was done on 9 Thermidor (24 July), according to an inscription on the backing.
The drawings are all circular and of approximately the same size. They portray the sitter half-length in profile and in front of a wall. Three of these drawings, the present one and those of Lindet and Bernard de Saintes show the joints of the stones behind the sitters.
David drew at the same period two further portraits of the same size and format, one in the Louvre of Dubois Cranc and the other, in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, of Thirius de Pautrizel, both exhibited in Paris, Galerie nationales du Grand Palais, David, 1989, nos. 133-4, illustrated.
Barbeau Dubarran was born in Barran near Auch, in South West France, about 1750. He was elected to the Convention and became a member of the Comit de Securit Gnrale in October 1793, and a prsident of the Socit des Jacobins. He voted for the death of the King. On 9 Thermidor (27 July 1794), he turned against Robespierre and recommended advancing his execution. Later he tried to protect the members of the Comit de Salut Public. He was arrested on suspicion of having been one of the leaders of the riots that took place earlier on 1 Prairial (20 May 1794). The present drawing was probably made while Barbeau was imprisoned in the Collge des Quatres-Nations. He was granted an amnesty at the same time as David and died at Basel in 1816.