HYACINTHE COLLIN DE VERMONT | An allegorical figure representing Oryctology

Acquis à Charleville-Mézières, commerce d'art, février 1987

Rennes, 2012, n°58 (notice par Xavier Salmon) ;
Sceaux, 2013 (sans catalogue)

X. Salmon, "Hyacinthe Collin de Vermont et l'estampe", Nouvelles de l'estampe, n°133, mars 1994, pp.50-52, fig.10 p.51

Hinged to mount at left margin. Light staining at the four corners of the sheet. Few creases at the upper margin. Medium remains strong and vibrant. Sold unframed.
"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."

This attractive red chalk and wash drawing of a young woman is a preparatory study for the frontispiece to Antoine Joseph Dezaillier d’Argenville’s book on the History of Oryctology. D’Argenville was the author of two books dedicated to the study and history of Oryctology (the study of fossils, minerals and rocks) and Conchology (the study of shells), published in Paris in 1755 and 1765 respectively. The text for both books was richly illustrated with images engraved by Pierre Quentin Chedel (1705-1763), after drawings by François Boucher and Hyacinthe Collin de Vermont. All the drawings for the history of Oryctology were by Collin de Vermont. Hyacinthe Collin de Vermont was a pupil of Jouvenet and of Rigaud. He was in Rome from 1716 until 1721, and then returned to Paris where he was admitted to the Académie Royale in 1725. He continued to receive important commissions, including that for the altarpiece for the chapel of the Château de Versailles. In 1740, Collin de Vermont was appointed professeur at the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture.

The present study, though in reverse to Chedel’s engraving, was, according to Xavier Salmon, probably a première pensée for the composition rather than the final drawing given to the engraver. Collin de Vermont’s preparatory sketch is freer in its rendering with looser lines and forms than would be required from a drawing actually used in making the print. The artist has chosen to represent ‘Oryctology’ as young, sensuous woman holding a mineral in one hand and a shell in the other and at her feet are two men who are digging for crystals. The drawing for the frontispiece is both learned and exotic, perfectly capturing the essence of the subject matter contained within the pages of the book.