Charles-Louis Clérisseau

Sale, London, Sotheby's, 15 June 1983, lot 104

Overall in good condition. The media generally fresh, a few very minor losses of pigments. A few small tears along the margins and litle rubbing but nothing significant . The drawing is sold mounted (the mount covers the edges), and framed in a modern, gilded and wooden 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.

In his interior scenes of this type, Clérisseau demonstrates not only his antiquarian interests but also his talent as an architect for recreating an antique Roman building, in all its grandeur.  As Thomas J. McCormick has suggested, these archaeological fantasies must have been inspired by the work of Piranesi,¹ whose frenetic imagination often produced highly theatrical combinations of diverse antique elements, in representations that captured all the boldness, grandeur and decadence of ancient Roman buildings.  Just as in other drawings by Clérisseau, such as Interérieur de la Chambre Sépulcral de ma Composition or Maison Antique, both now in the Hermitage,² the artist has here created a convincing vaulted Roman interior, in which several elements are obviously inspired by real buildings such as the Pantheon, but which has an overall, and overwhelming, decorative flavor.  This decorative taste was to be a strong influence on Robert Adam, who trained with Clérisseau in 1755-57, both in his work as an architect and as an interior decorator.  Clérisseau's style, chiefly inspired by a combination of influences from Panini and Piranesi, remained quite constant throughout his career, and the demand for his highly desirable gouaches was clearly very great among collectors and travellers on the Grand Tour.

1.  T.J. McCormick, Charles-Louis Clérisseau and the Genesis of Neo-Classicism, London 1990, p. 43 
2.  Ibid., p. 43, reproduced p. 50, figs. 46 and 45