Jean-Honoré FRAGONARD (Grasse 1732 - Paris 1806) Draped... Lot 110

Jean-Honoré FRAGONARD (Grasse 1732 - Paris 1806) Draped man kneeling in profile to the right, formerly "Turkish figure". Sanguine 28, 5 x 24 cm Leaf folded over on the right edge by three centimeters. Small undefined sketch on verso. Watermark of fleur-de-lys in a double circle. Provenance : Former Gustave Soulier collection (1872-1937), stamped lower right (L.1215a) Former collection of Madame R..., Ader sale, Paris, Galerie Charpentier, May 10, 1938, no. 18, pl.II ; Private collection, France Bibliography: A. Ananoff, L'oeuvre dessiné de Jean-Honoré Fragonard (1732-1806), ed. de Nobele, 1961, tome I, no. 236, as "Personnage turc"; repr. tome II, 1963, fig. 355 This drawing appears to have been executed in the early 1770s, as was the drawing engraved by Demarteau under the title Penses-y bien, showing a man standing pointing at a skull, titled in the margin: "Il a été ce que je suis: ce qu'il est je le serai bientôt" (opus cited above, no. 764, New York, private collection). We find the same schematically accented technique as in the academies of his first stay in Rome, but with a much more elaborate drapery technique, and a subtle mastery of light through the use of paper reserves. The head, with its pronounced features, is less worked, showing that it is above all a study of light on the folds of the drapery. This exceptional quality can be found in other figure studies from this period, such as La jeune femme assise au sol in the Morgan Library (opus quoted above, no. 197 and P. Stein, Fragonard drawing triumphant, Works from New York Collections, Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition catalog, 2016, New York, no. 69, repr. p.219). We thank Mrs. Eunice Williams who kindly confirmed the authenticity of this drawing from a photograph. Expert : Cabinet de BAYSER. Tel. + 33 (0)1 47 03 49 87. Visible in Paris by appointment until Monday June 17, 2024 inclusive, at the expert's, 69 Rue Sainte-Anne, 75002 Paris. Tel : 01 47 03 49 87. ATTENTION! BIDS AND PURCHASE ORDERS ON THIS LOT ARE SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS. IN ORDER TO BID ON THIS LOT, PLEASE CONTACT THE FIRM: senlis@acteon.auction Please note that bids and absentee bids on this lot are subject to conditions. To bid on this lot you must contact the auction house at: senlis@acteon.auction