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Nicolas-Bernard LÉPICIÉ (Paris, 1735 – 1784)
Character studi…
See original version (French)
116
-
Nicolas-Bernard LÉPICIÉ (Paris, 1735 – 1784)
Character studi…
See original version (French)
Estimate €1,000 - €1,500
Voluntary lot
Description
Nicolas-Bernard LÉPICIÉ (Paris, 1735 – 1784)
Character studies for ‘L’intérieur d’une douane’
Pen and grey ink, grey wash, watercolour over pencil lines
(Stains, pinholes and pencil retouching on the reverse)
Character studies for ‘L’intérieur d’une douane’, pen and grey ink, grey wash, watercolour over pencil lines, by N.-B. Lépicié
8.85 x 11.02 in.
22.5 x 28.5 cm
Provenance: Anonymous sale; Paris, Hôtel Drouot, Maître Chevallier, 9 May 1903, lot 115, according to a label on the reverse indicating that the painting is at Les Vaux de Cernay with Mr de Rothschild, who purchased it at Madame Lelong’s sale;
Jean Dubois Collection;
His sale, Paris, Hôtel Drouot, Maître Lair Dubreuil, 21 and 22 March 1927, lot 50;
Henri de Rothschild (1872–1947) Collection;
James Nathaniel de Rothschild (1896–1984) Collection;
His sale, Paris, Palais Galliera, Maurice Rheims, Laurin and Philippe Rheims, 1 December 1966, lot 110;
Private European collection
Exhibitions: ‘The Age of Louis XV as Seen by Artists’, an exhibition organised by the *Gazette des Beaux-Arts* and *Beaux-Arts*, Paris, June 1934, no. 231
Bibliography:
Philippe Gaston-Dreyfus, “Catalogue raisonné of the paintings and drawings of Nicolas-Bernard Lépicié”, Bulletin de la Société d’Histoire de l’Art Français, 1922, p. 246, no. 407
Whilst Nicolas-Bernard Lépicié pursued a career as an official history painter, he was also highly regarded for his genre scenes inspired by Flemish and Dutch painting. This drawing illustrates the compositional studies undertaken by Lépicié in preparation for one such work. Our study thus presents fourteen figures rendered in watercolour, arranged in different groups engaged in various activities: on the left, people are meeting; in the centre, a customs officer is checking the papers for an unloaded cargo; and on the right, three men are inspecting the contents of a chest.
Now held at the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, *The Interior of a Customs House* (fig. 1) was commissioned from the artist by Louis XV’s minister, the Abbé Joseph Marie Terray (1715–1778), and exhibited at the 1775 Salon.¹
This painting, along with two of its studies, formed part of Baron Henri de Rothschild’s collection. He first acquired the canvas at the sale of Madame Lelong’s collection, held in Paris from 27 April to 1 May 1903. He subsequently acquired two of the preparatory sketches, including this one, which he bought at the sale of the Dubois collection in 1927. The three related works, inherited by Henri’s son, James-Nathaniel de Rothschild, were eventually dispersed in 1966 during the Rothschild sale at the Palais Galliera. Our study remained in the family, whilst the painting and the other sketch entered the Thyssen-Bornemisza collection.
1. Explanation of the Paintings, Sculptures & Other Works by the Members of the Royal Academy, on display at the Salon du Louvre, Paris, 1775, no. 23, p. 7
We would like to thank Professor Patrick Michel for kindly confirming the authenticity of this work following a visual examination on 18 May 2026.
Nicolas-Bernard LÉPICIÉ (Paris, 1735 – 1784)
22.5 x 28.5 cm
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
About the sale
The Rothschild taste, passed down through the generations: A pied-à-terre on the Champ-de-Mars
Auction location
Auction time
09/22/2026 at 2:30 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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