Attributed to François Boucher Paris 1703 - 1770

As Alastair Laing pointed out in the recent New York/Fort Worth exhibition catalogue, it is only very recently that Boucher's pastel style has been fully understood.  The drawing that Laing was discussing, a Study of the Head of a Young Woman in a Lace Cap¹, was executed circa 1733/37, in a pure pastel technique, whereas the present work is at heart more of a trios crayons work, elaborated with blue, but the overall approach to a coloured composition, and also the use of a light brown paper, are nonetheless very comparable.  Heads of this type form an important part of Boucher's drawn oeuvre, and were also widely reproduced in various series of prints after his designs.  These prints were, in turn, widely copied, often in the form of what Alastair Laing has aptly described (loc. cit.) as "insipid heads of young women ascribed, with no justification, to him."

The present drawing does not, however, correspond in composition with any of the prints of this type, nor can it be considered an "insipid head".  The drawing does, however, show certain weaknesses in terms of anatomy, but the freedom and quality of the draughtsmanship in the face and hair, and in the draperies on the figure's left shoulder, are nonetheless striking, and superior to what we generally see in works produced by Boucher's assistants or pupils.     

1. Private collection; Alastair Laing, The Drawings of François Boucher, exhibition catalogue, New York, The Frick Collection, and Fort Worth, Kimbell Art Museum, 2003-4, cat.no. 58.