Nicolas Lagneau

Collection Eugène Rodrigues ;
Sa vente, Amsterdam, F. Muller, 12 - 13 Juillet 1921, n° 214 ;
Acquis lors de cette vente par Frits Lugt ;
Acquis par Jacques Bacri à Amsterdam vers 1955

Exposition des portraits peints et dessinés du XIII au XVII^e siècle, Paris, Bibliothèque nationale, 1907, n°497, pl. LXXI

 

Slight rubbing but overall fresh and in quite good condition. Tiny stain towards the lower right margin. A very imperceptible slight discoloration from the mount to the right edge. Sold in a carved modern wooden black frame Légères abrasures mais état de conservation générale très satisfaisant. Légère tâche au niveau du bord droit. Une presque imperceptible décoloration le long du montage sur le bord droit. Vendu dans un cadre noir moderne et sculpté.
"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."

The presumed identification, in the Rodrigues's sale catalogue, of the sitter with the French statesman Mathieu Molé (1584-1656), does not seem founded. Tnis was part of a group of twelve portraits once in the famous collection, the majority of which where exhibited in 1907, in Paris, in the Bibliothèque Nationale. The present sheet, like others, has being conceived as an oval portrait, and it is a typical character study by Lagneau, more than a real portrait. It is executed in the characteristic combination of red and black chalk, with the addition of stumping. These type of portraiture, were executed as individual sheets, most probably to be sold as works of art in their own right, or as part of albums. One of this album which belonged to the celebrated French scholar Abbé Michel de Marolles, is in the Bibliothèque Nationale, in Paris, which core is formed on the Abbé own collection.