113 - Attributed to Pierre-Martin BARAT (Paris 1735/36–Nîmes 1787)

Attributed to Pierre-Martin BARAT (Paris 1735/36–Nîmes 1787) Bust of Voltaire holding a book Pastel 65.5 x 55 cm, oval shape Stretched on a frame Small holes and flaking along the edges Old label on the reverse with barely legible annotations In 1775, Barat traveled to Ferney, where he painted several portraits of Voltaire. Voltaire recommended him to Empress Catherine II in these words: “A very good painter named Barrat came to my home: he found me writing in front of your portrait; he painted me in that pose, and he had the audacity to wish to present this whim to Your Imperial Majesty. He framed it and sent it on its way. I can only beg you to forgive this painter’s boldness. He is a man who, moreover, has the talent to accomplish in a quarter of an hour what others would take eight days to do; he could paint a gallery in less time than it would take to hold a ball there. Above all, he possesses the art of capturing a perfect likeness. I know of no fault in him other than his audacity in taking Your Imperial Majesty as the judge of his talents.”