Nicolas Robert

watercolor and gouache on vellum within gold and ink framing lines;

signed in pen and brown ink lower right: 'N. Rob. pin.';



inscribed in gold: 'Geranium batrachiodes Aconiti folio Bauh. in pin.'

Overall in very good condition. Brown staining at the lower margin and light foxing around the edges of the vellum. Vellum has buckled a little. Colours remain bright and vibrant.
The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot provided by Sotheby's. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colours and shades which are different to the lot's actual colour and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation because Sotheby's is not a professional conservator or restorer but rather the condition report is a statement of opinion genuinely held by Sotheby's. For that reason, Sotheby's condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot.

Nicolas Robert was perhaps the greatest French natural history artist of the 17th century, producing considerable numbers of superb watercolours on vellum, depicting flowers, plants, birds and other animals, primarily executed for Gaston d'Orléans, brother of King Louis XIII.  Today, his works can be found in various private and public collections, but the largest number is at the Musée d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris.  This collection contains over 6,000 watercolours by the artist, including all the known drawings of birds other than those formerly in the Marcel Jeanson Collection.¹

^1.  Sale, Monaco, Sotheby's, 'The Marcel Jeanson Collection', 16 June 1988