Master Works on Paper from Five Centuries
Master Works on Paper from Five Centuries
The Art of Pastel: A Swiss Private Collection
Joseph Ducreux
Portrait of the artist's son, Auguste-Joseph Ducreux (1770-1771)
Auction Closed
January 25, 04:44 PM GMT
Estimate
6,000 - 8,000 USD
Lot Details
Description
The Art of Pastel: A Swiss Private Collection
Joseph Ducreux
Nancy 1735 - 1802 Paris
Portrait of the artist's son, Auguste-Joseph Ducreux (1770-1771)
Pastel;
bears inscription in pen and brown ink on the back of the frame: Portrait d'un enfant de Ducreux / pastel de Ducreux provenant / de la famille de l'artiste / pte du 18 November 1917 / Baudoin C.P. / Feral expert
440 by 360 mm; 17 ⅜ by 14 ¼ in.
Possibly sale, Ducreux, 16 January 1865;
sale, M.C..., Paris, 17 November 1917, lot 15 (with two other pastels by Ducreux);
with Jean Cailleux, Paris 1982,
where acquired by Jacques-Louis Isoz
J.M. Marquis, 'Fréquence Pastel. Une Collection de Pastels du XVIIIe siècle', in Connaissance des Arts, Supplément Suisse, March 1990, p. XIII, reproduced;
N. Jeffares, Dictionary of pastellists before 1800, London 2006, p. 166, reproduced / online edition, no. J.285.316
Ducreux was a succesful portraitist at the Court of King Louis XVI of France and is often referred to as Maurice Quentin de La Tour's only pupil, however, there is little evidence to substantiate this. Ducreux had a natural ability to capture the likeness of his sitter and many of his unsigned works have been attributed to La Tour.
Ducreux's pastel technique is described by Neil Jeffares, who notes that the artist had established a particular style as early as 1767, portraying flesh tones by 'alternating layers of white chalk, scumbled on, with browns and ochres, giving a distinctive, slightly muddy effect. He combines stumped, smooth areas with others where bold strokes are left exposed.'1
This pastel is a memorial portrait in commemoration of Ducreux's son, who passed away in early infancy.
1. N. Jeffares, online edition, op.cit., under Essay on Ducreux, p. 2