Gustave Ricard

signé en bas à droite G. Ricard 1859

Prince Paul Demidoff, Paris, later San Donato near Florence
Prince Elim Demidoff, his son, Athens
Princess Aurora Demidoff, his sister
Prince Paul of Yugoslavia, her son
Thence by descent to the present owners

Paris, Salon de 1859, no.2562, titled Portrait de M. Paul de D...
Paris, Salle du Jeu de Paume, Exposition des oeuvres de Carpeaux et de Ricard, 1912, no.24
Paris, Galeries nationales du Grand Palais, Impressionnisme: Les origines, 1859-1869, 19 April - 8 August 1994, no.182
New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Origins of Impressionism, 27 September 1994 - 8 January 1995, no.182

Exhibition catalogue Expositions des oeuvres de Carpeaux et de Ricard, Paris, 1912, p.9, no.24 Le Prince Paul Demidoff (20 ans)
P.Drouot, 'Gustave Ricard', L'Art décoratif, no.173, 5 June 1912, p.327 illustrated b/w
S.Giraud, Gustave Ricard, sa vie et son oeuvre, Paris: Occitania, 1932, p.167 illustrated b/w; pp.166-167 mentioned in the text
W.Drost and U.Henninges, Théophile Gaultier. Exposition de 1859, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, 1992, p.132, fig.103 illustrated b/w; p.131 mentioned in the text
Exhibition catalogue Impressionnisme: Les origines, 1859-1869, Paris: Réunion des Musées Nationaux, 1994, p.20, no.22 illustrated; p.456, cat.182 illustrated b/w
Exhibition catalogue Origins of Impressionism, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1994, p.20, fig.22 illustrated; p.458, cat.182 illustrated b/w

Original canvas which appears to be on its original stretcher. There are stretcher bar marks along all the edges and running vertically through the composition. Frame abrasions are also visible in places at the edges with a few minor paint losses. There is a layer of surface dirt and the varnish layer has discoloured. There are a few areas of retouching visible to the naked eye: to the right of the sitter's hood, to the centre of the right edge, in the sky in the upper left quadrant and by his shotgun. Craquelure is visible throughout the paint layer but is deepest in the dark pigments at the bottom of the composition. There are a few canvas repair patches visible on the reverse which correspond to the areas of retouching visible on the front. Under UV light the aforementioned retouchings fluoresce. The initial G and the 5 in the date appear to have been strengthened and the area around the signature and date fluoresces. Held in a gilt wooden frame.
"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."

A member of the influential and wealthy Demidoff family, Paul inherited the title of Prince of San Donato from his uncle Anatole Demidoff, for whom it had been created to allow him to marry Mathilde Bonaparte. A patron of the arts, Paul built the Hôtel Demidoff in Paris where he housed his important collection of paintings and Ricard was among the artists who worked on the decoration of the interior.