- 133
Jean-Baptiste Massé
Estimate
7,000 - 9,000 USD
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Description
- Jean-Baptiste Massé
- A group of three portraits
- Portrait of a young woman: Black, red, pink and green chalk with stumping, heightened with white, within a black chalk drawn oval; bears faint signature in black chalk lower right: J.B. Massé;
Portrait of a young man, his body in profile, his face towards the viewer: Red, black and pink chalk with stumping within a black chalk drawn oval;
Portrait of a man: Black red and pink chalks with stumping heightened with white within a black chalk drawn oval
Provenance
Sale, Paris, Drouot Richelieu, 17 December 1987, lot 77 (Portrait of a young man, his body in profile, his face towards the viewer), lot 78 (Portait of a man), lot 75 (Portrait of a young woman),
where acquired by the present owner
where acquired by the present owner
Condition
A: Sheet hinged at upper margin to mount. Sheet originally larger (it has been folded). Overall in good condition with colors lively and fresh. Some light staining around edges of sheet and few small light brown stains located at the lady's neck line.
B: Hinged to mount at upper margin. Overall in good condition. Colors strong. Few light brown stains and sheet has slightly discolored. Sheet has been torn - perforated left margin.
C: Hinged to mount at upper margin. Sheet is larger - it has been folded in half. Good condition, colors lively and vibrant. Some staining and discoloration around the edges of sheet. one small light brown stain located on the man's jacket on the left side.
All three portraits are mounted and framed
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE 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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
Jean Baptiste Massé started his artistic career under the tutelage of Jean Baptiste Jouvenet and Louis de Châtillon. It was in this studio that he specialised in printmaking, portrait drawings and portrait miniatures. Born into a Protestant family of jewellers and goldsmiths, Massé was initially prevented from entering the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture due to his religion, but eventually, after appealing to the Regent Duc d'Orléans, he was accepted into the academy in 1717, and was appointed Conseiller in 1740.
Massé is best known for the vast series of engravings that he executed after his own drawings of the ceiling paintings by Charles Le Brun in the Galerie des Glaces, the Salon de la Guerre and the Salon de la Paix in the palace of Versailles. The project was commissioned in 1725, but it was almost thirty years before it was published, in 1753. In 1759 Massé was appointed keeper of the royal collections and miniature painter to the King.