L12040

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Lot 74
  • 74

Jean Antoine Watteau

Estimate
25,000 - 35,000 GBP
bidding is closed

Description

  • Jean Antoine Watteau
  • three studies of the head of a woman

  • Red and black chalk with touches of white chalk;
    bears the mark of the mountmaker Adolphe Stoll, (L.2786c), on the mount

Provenance

Andrew James (1792/94-1854);
by descent to his daughter, Sarah Ann James,
her estate sale, London, Christie's, 22-23 June 1891, lot 305 where bought by Obach;
Camille Groult;
by descent to his son, Jean Groult;
by descent to his son, Pierre Bordeaux-Groult

Exhibited

London, South Kensington Museum, Bethnal Green Branch, Twenty-six Drawings by Watteau, Property of Miss James, 1878, no. 22, reproduced

Literature

E. de Goncourt, Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre peint, dessiné et gravé d'Antoine Watteau, Paris 1875, p. 352, no. 18;
K.T. Parker and J. Mathey, Antoine Watteau, catalogue complet de son oeuvre dessiné, Paris 1957, vol. II, p. 344, no. 763, reproduced fig. 763;
P. Rosenberg and L.-A. Prat, Antoine Watteau, catalogue raisonné des dessins, Milan 1996, vol. II, p. 758, no. 457, reproduced (as possibly reworked by another hand)

Condition

Red and black chalk strong, white less visible. A certain amount of the chalk possibly added by another hand. Paper slightly grey. Slight mark along top edge from centre towards right edge, probably from old mount. Edged with japan paper. Small loss bottom left corner, small hole above right head.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

Rosenberg and Prat (loc. cit.) date this around 1716 and point out that the model is the same as in their no. 457bis.

Andrew James was a London grain merchant and avid collector of Watteau's paintings and drawings, referred to by Edmond de Goncourt as 'Mr. Watteau'.  His collection was inherited by his daughter and sold at her death.1

1.  S. Whittingham, 'Watteaus and Watteaus in Britain, c. 1780-51', in F. Moureau and M. Morgan Grasselli, eds., Antoine Watteau, The Painter, His Age and His Legend, Paris-Geneva 1987, pp. 273-74