- 223
Jean-Baptiste Pillement
Estimate
40,000 - 60,000 GBP
bidding is closed
Description
- Jean-Baptiste Pillement
- Two shipwreck scenes
- a pair, both oil on canvas, in their original frames
Provenance
In the present owner's family since at least 1900.
Condition
Figures stranded on a rock: The canvas has an old lining which is stable. The paint surface is well preserved overall. There is a restored L-shaped tear in the centre just below the horizon and some areas of retouching in the more thinly painted darker shades of the waves.
Figures in a large rowing boat: The paint surface is very well preserved with the impasto on the crests of the waves still present. There is an area of restoration in the extreme lower right and some small retouchings confined to the margins.
Generally speaking this pair of paintings are in very good condition.
"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."
"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
Though the designs and subject matter are inspired by Claude-Joseph Vernet, the figures, the handling and the golden highlights of this unusual pair of shipwrecks unmistakably point to the hand of Jean-Baptiste Pillement. Originally from Lyon, Pillement led a peripatetic life which took him from Portugal to Warsaw and from Austria to Italy. His marines generally date from the 1780s, a period in which he blended strong but subtle colours to depict the movement of the sea and in which he became increasingly interested in the mood which the weather could impart on landscapes, as in the present works. The lovely condition of the paintings allows us to fully appreciate the artist's freedom of brushstroke.