Null Circle of Abraham-Louis-Rodolphe Ducros,
Swiss 1748-1810-

View of the Basi…

Description

Circle of Abraham-Louis-Rodolphe Ducros, Swiss 1748-1810- View of the Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine, after Giovanni Battista Piranesi; pen, black ink and watercolour on paper, inscribed 'DUCROS TEMPLE OF PEACE / (BASILICA OF MAXENTIUS)' to the backing board, 39 x 55.5 cm. Provenance: Private Collection, UK. Note: This watercolour appears to be a copy after Giovanni Battista Piranesi's (1720-1778) etching entitled 'Veduta degli Avanzi del Tempio della Pace' [BM 1914,0216.109], first published in 1757. The present work very much recalls the style and technique of Ducros, whose output was heavily influenced by Piranesi, with Andrew Wilton describing in the Burlington Magazine (vol. 117, no. 992, November 1985) how, in Ducros' watercolours, 'the great monuments of the Roman past are depicted in compositions that rely unashamedly on Piranesi'. The present work bearsa striking similarity to a watercolour of the same subject by Ducros, dated to 1779, which is now held in the collection of the Yale Centre for British Art [B1977.14.141].

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Circle of Abraham-Louis-Rodolphe Ducros, Swiss 1748-1810- View of the Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine, after Giovanni Battista Piranesi; pen, black ink and watercolour on paper, inscribed 'DUCROS TEMPLE OF PEACE / (BASILICA OF MAXENTIUS)' to the backing board, 39 x 55.5 cm. Provenance: Private Collection, UK. Note: This watercolour appears to be a copy after Giovanni Battista Piranesi's (1720-1778) etching entitled 'Veduta degli Avanzi del Tempio della Pace' [BM 1914,0216.109], first published in 1757. The present work very much recalls the style and technique of Ducros, whose output was heavily influenced by Piranesi, with Andrew Wilton describing in the Burlington Magazine (vol. 117, no. 992, November 1985) how, in Ducros' watercolours, 'the great monuments of the Roman past are depicted in compositions that rely unashamedly on Piranesi'. The present work bearsa striking similarity to a watercolour of the same subject by Ducros, dated to 1779, which is now held in the collection of the Yale Centre for British Art [B1977.14.141].

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Estim. 10 000 - 15 000 GBP

Surroundings of Jean Marc NATTIER (1685-1766) Portrait of Louis François Armand de Vignerot du Plessis, Duc de Richelieu (1696-1788), Marshal of France, in armor Oil on canvas 149.4 x 117.2 cm Important carved and gilded wood frame stamped Infroit JME Provenance : - Given to Monsieur de Montillet in 1784. Maréchal de camps des armées du Roi, premier enseigne de la première compagnie des mousquetaires de la garde du Roi, he was Chevalier de l'Ordre Royal et militaire de Saint Louis. - Paul Berttholle Collection, Paris - Sotheby's sale June 8, 2007, lot 373 - An apartment in Isle Saint Louis - Paris Exhibition: - Paris, Exposition Restrospective des Colonies Françaises de l'Amérique du Nord, April-June 1929, n°30, p.58, rep. p.61 Literature : - Louis Réau, "Carle van Loo, Jean Restout, les lithographies de paysages en France à l'époque romantique", in Archives de l'art français , tome XIX, Paris, 1938, no. 138; - N. Jeffares, Dictionnaire des pastellistes avant 1800 , London 2006, p. 534; - MH Trope, Jean Valade : peintre ordinaire du roi, 1710-1787 , exhibition catalog, Poitiers 1993, cited in note 112. Painted in a style characteristic of 18th-century military portraits, the Duc de Richelieu is shown in armor, wearing a blue sash adorned with the symbol of the Order of the Holy Spirit. The background evokes the fortress of Port-Mahon, which Richelieu captured in 1756. The cartouche at the top of the frame indicates that this portrait was presented to the Marquis de Montillet in 1784. Godson of Louis XIV (1638-1715) and grand-nephew of the influential Cardinal de Richelieu (1585-1642), Louis-François-Armand de Vignerot du Plessis, Duc de Richelieu, was appointed Marshal of France, a high military distinction reserved for exceptional generals, in 1748. Notorious for his debauched lifestyle, he nonetheless established himself as a courageous and respected man of war, as shown in the present painting. This portrait is in the tradition of 18th-century military portraits. In a three-quarter view, the Duc de Richelieu is shown in armor, holding a sword in his left hand. A blue sash on his chest, embossed with the symbol of the Order of the Holy Spirit, reminds us that he received France's highest distinction in 1729. The decoration evokes the British fortress of Port-Mahon, taken by Richelieu in 1756. While the Marshal of France achieved many important military successes, this particular event, a major battle in the Seven Years' War, remains without doubt his most striking victory. It was therefore obvious for the artist to depict Richelieu in a setting reminiscent of this specific fortress, a symbol of his military prowess and political importance. Beyond the military aspect, this portrait conveys a certain sense of compassion and clemency. An eternal lover of women - he married his fourth wife at the age of 84 - his many antics and duels earned him imprisonment in the Bastille. Fortunately, he escaped fourteen months later, thanks to the help of his loyal and influential friend Madame de Maintenon (1635-1719). His association with the royal circle, as well as his notable friendship with the French philosopher and writer Voltaire, made him one of the most striking and attractive figures of the Age of Enlightenment. According to the plaque at the top of the frame, this portrait was presented to Louis-Honoré de Montillet in 1784. Louis-Honoré, Marquis de Montillet, was born in 1733 into the Montillet family, who built the Château de Champdor in the Bugey region of eastern France in the 18th century. The portrait shown here is very similar to an oil painting described as simply from the 18th-century French school, held at the Musée de l'Armée, Invalides, Paris. There is also a pastel portrait of Marshal de Richelieu by Jean Valade (1710-1787) (oval, 85 x 65 cm), whose current location is unknown.

Estim. 150 - 200 GBP

SCHWABE (Carlos) & ZOLA (Émile). Le Rêve. Illustrations by Carloz Schwabe and Lucien Métivet. Paris, Marpon et Flammarion, [1892]. In-4, brown half-chagrin with corners, spine ribbed, gilt title, initials J.D. on tail, double gilt fillet on covers, gilt head, covers preserved. Color cover, black title vignette and 55 black illustrations by Carlos Schwabe (27 full-page, 5 frames, 1 in the text, 11 culs-de-lampe and 11 chapter headings); 10 illustrations by Lucien Métivet at the end of the book (5 full-page, 1 chapter heading and 4 culs-de-lampe). Copy of the current edition on vellum. Some foxing. One of the monuments of modern illustrated book history, a masterpiece by Swiss painter Carlos Schwabe (1866-1926), a leading figure in fin-de-siècle symbolism and idealism: "Self-taught, Schwabe made a name for himself with his enchanting interpretation of L'évangile de l'enfance, an illustration exhibited at the Salon de la Rose+Croix (...) in 1892. Carlos Schwabe's art is characterized by extraordinarily meticulous drawing, tinged with archaism and distortion, combined with a highly original visionary iconography. He thus established himself as one of the most promising young creators of the idealist trend. At the same time, Émile Zola was completing the Rougon-Macquart cycle, a monument of naturalist literature. The meeting of these two personalities, who seemed to have opposing views of the world, aesthetics and generation, seemed improbable. However, publisher Ernest Flammarion's desire to publish an illustrated version of Le Rêve led to an unforeseen and unpredictable collaboration between the two men. Schwabe's illustrations are based on a free interpretation of the Zolian text, close to a dreamlike, fantastical universe. This surprised Zola, who discovered in his plates "so many things he didn't remember putting in the book". The twenty-six-year-old artist replied with aplomb that he "should have put them there"! (...) The illustration of Le Rêve remains one of the major works of Symbolism: the novel's experimental themes, as well as the confrontation between Zola and Schwabe, made it the setting for a representation of the aesthetic and intellectual conflicts of the time, opposing naturalism and idealism." Presentation of the exhibition "Symbolisme et naturalisme: Carlos Schwabe, illustrateur du Rêve de Zola", Musée d'Orsay 1994 (curators: Rodolphe Rapetti and Jean-David Jumeau-Lafond). See also Jean-David Jumeau-Lafond's excellent article on this edition in the BNF-Gallica files.

Starting price 20 EUR

PARIS Porcelain sponge box and its openwork lining with polychrome decoration of river landscapes, circa 1840 (wear). One litron cup and one saucer with polychrome decoration of Swiss views with inscriptions (star-shaped cheveyx on the saucer) and two chocolate cups and saucers in Paris, Louis Philippe period (worn decoration, chips, cracks).

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