4 - Martin Drölling (1752–1817), attributed to

Martin Drölling (1752–1817), attributed to Caring for the Sick, 1793 Oil on canvas, monogram “DM,” dated 1793 H_71.5 cm W_58 cm Oxidized varnish, restorations, premature drying cracks. Re-stretched Provenance: Private collection in Bergheim, formerly known as Oberhergheim (the artist’s birthplace) Martin Drölling first trained in Strasbourg before moving to Paris, where he continued his apprenticeship under Joseph-Siffred Duplessis. He developed an intimate genre style, devoted to scenes of daily life, domestic interiors, and family activities. He paid particular attention to the effects of light and the meticulous depiction of objects, following in the tradition of the 17th-century Dutch masters. Our painting, dated 1793, fits perfectly into this tradition by depicting an interior scene in which the sick are being cared for. The late 18th century was particularly marked by a taste for depictions of domestic life, in which ordinary gestures became the vehicle for a moral and sentimental message. Illness and caring for the vulnerable were thus favored themes in genre painting. This composition is similar to Drölling’s other interior scenes, with meticulous attention to detail and the handling of light. The date of 1793 places this painting in a relatively early period of the artist’s Parisian career, at a time when he was establishing his interest in genre subjects and scenes of daily life. Tradition holds that Martin Drölling acquired, around the same time during the revolutionary auctions, the embalmed hearts of several queens of France—notably those of Anne of Austria and Maria Theresa of Austria—in order to grind them down and extract a brown pigment called “mummy,” which was highly prized by painters. This anecdote takes on a very special significance for our painting. Appraisal: Mr. Quentin BONNEFOY - Artéon Expert: Quentin BONNEFOY - ARTÉON