Pierre-Antoine Demachy

Anonymous sale, Paris, Ader Picard Tajan, 9 April 1990, lot 108;
Anonymous sale, London, Sotheby's, 9 July 1998, lot 380;
Where acquired by the present collector for $93,979. 

F. Roussel-Leriche and M. Petkowska Le Roux, Le Témoin Méconnu: Pierre-Antoine Demachy 1723-1807, pp. 106-7, under cat. no. 18, reproduced fig. 31.

The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This work is in good condition. The panel is flat and unreinforced on the reverse. The paint layer is clean and lightly varnished. Under ultraviolet light, one can see retouches on the extreme right edge and a few spots along the bottom edge and in the upper left corner. There is a small spot of retouching above the blue and white pictures in the center right, and another near the horse and rider on the far left. The painting can be hung as is.
"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 this lively scene, bright sunlight streams through the colonnades of the lower galleries of the Louvre, where dealers have set up stands with rows of books, prints, stamps, and other collectibles.  Middle class Parisians are bustling about the space, looking through the offerings, chatting with the vendors, and lining up to make their purchases.  One figure leaves the space on horseback, while another holds onto the leash of a small dog while she browses. 

This fascinating view into the commercial side of 18th century Paris is by Pierre-Antoine Demachy, an artist who specialized in the depiction of architectural paintings as well as trompe-l'oeil compositions.  Born and bred in Paris, he was reçu into the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture in 1755.  By the 1770s he had received a workshop in the Louvre and in 1784 he moved into an apartment on the first floor.  

A similar painting of the same subject, signed and dated 1791, is in the collection of the Musée Carnavalet, in deposit at the Musée du Louvre, Paris.¹  Both paintings share the same view and a similar sense of light, but the arrangement of the various bookstands and the figures are quite different.  Roussel-Leriche and Petkowska Le Roux (see Literature) consider the present picture to be the prime version of the composition as it is higher in quality and suggest a much earlier dating of 1775-80.  


1. Inv. no. P. 1039, oil on canvas, 38.5 by 58 cm., signed and dated Demachy 1791.  See F. Roussel-Leriche and M. Petkowska under Literature, pp. 106-7, cat. no. 18, where they also suggest possible participation from the daughter of the artist in the painting dated 1791.