Lot 126
  • 126

Nicolas-Antoine Taunay

Estimate
6,000 - 8,000 USD
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Description

  • Nicolas-Antoine Taunay
  • The prisoners returning to Besançon in 1793
  • oil on canvas
  • 16 by 24 in.; 40.6 by 61 cm.

Provenance

Sale, Paris, 9-10 April 1827, lot 76;
Sale, Paris, 17 March 1971, lot 41 (for 12,500 FF);
Sale, Rio de Janeiro, 21 November 1977, lot F.57;
Private collection, Rio de Janeiro;
By whom anonymously sold, 28 May 1981, lot 18.

Exhibited

Paris, 1794, Concours de l'an II (where it won second prize).

Literature

J. Guillaume, Procès-verbaux du Comité d'Instruction publique de l'Assemblée Législative, Paris 1889;
C. Blanc, Le Trésor de la curiosité tiré des catalogues de vente..., Paris 1857-58, vol. II, p. 409;
A. d'Escragnolle Taunay,  "A missao aristica de 1816," in Revista do instituto historico et geographico brazileiro, no. 74, 1912, p. 29;
J. Bourguigon, Napoléon Bonaparte, Paris 1936, vol. I., p. 68;
Arte Hoje, vol. I, December 1977, p. 27-32, reproduced;
B. Gallini, in La Révolution française et l'Europe 1789-1799, exhibition catalogue, Grand Palais, Paris, 1989, vol. III, p. 834-837;
C. Lebrun Jouve, Nicolas-Antoine Taunay, Paris 2003, p. 190, cat. no. P. 352. 

Condition

The canvas has an old relining and is flat and stable. The details in many of the figures have been well preserved and there is a nice sense of depth to the crowd. The painting has been abraded in the middle ground and sky, appearing a bit dark to the naked eye. While few retouchings are evident to the naked eye, under ultraviolet light one can see scattered inpainting throughout the composition, particularly in the sky, the tower at right, and in the darks and shadows of the foreground. The figures are mostly untouched, though there are some dark areas on the left side of the group that fluoresce. Offered in a carved giltwood 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.
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.