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134 - Attributed to François BOUCHER (Paris, 1703–1770) Nude nymph…
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Estimate €15,000 - €20,000
Sale commission
Description
Attributed to François BOUCHER (Paris, 1703–1770) Nude nymph seen from behind Three chalks Reclining nymph, red, white and black chalk, attr. to F. Boucher 10.03 x 15.74 in. 25.5 x 40 cm Provenance: Collection of Henri de Rothschild (1872–1947), a red wax seal bearing the family coat of arms on the mounting on the reverse; Then passed down through the family; Private European collection Exhibitions: Masterpieces from Parisian Collections, Paris, Musée Carnavalet, November–December 1950, no. 89 Bibliography: Alexandre Ananoff, *L’œuvre dessinée de Boucher*, Paris, 1966, no. 495 Alexandre Ananoff, *François Boucher, Catalogue raisonné*, Paris, 1976, vol. II, pp. 45–46, no. 346/4, ill. 1007, pp. 191–192, no. 519/8, ill. 1443 Related works: - An inverted study for one of the two figures on the right of the tapestry *Neptune and Amymone* from the series *Les Amours des Dieux* (The Loves of the Gods), woven in 1750 at the Beauvais workshop (Ananoff, op. cit., 1976, no. 346, repr.), of which only one known example remains - Another drawn version (anonymous sale; Paris, Hôtel Drouot, 15 June 2018, no. 11, repr.) recognised in 2018 by Alastair Laing as an autograph - Several preparatory sketches for the tapestry, including a reverse-orientation study of the naiad in the lower left-hand corner, held at the Musée Cognac-Jay (Ananoff, op. cit., 1976, fig. 1010), the technique of which is similar to that of our drawing The motif of the nude nymph seen from behind, reclining in the grass, can be seen in reverse on the tapestry depicting Neptune and Amymone held at the Petit Palais (inv. no. PPO3528, fig. 1), for which François Boucher’s cartoon has been lost, as well as on the master’s painting depicting Pan and Syrinx, held at the National Gallery in London (inv. no. NG 1090). The black oil pastel used here to emphasise the shaded areas is a technique favoured by François Boucher. Our drawing shows several corrections to the hand, the profile of the face and the leg, indicating thorough exploration of the subject. Our drawing was previously restored using yellow chalk powder applied to the backgrounds that had suffered water damage. This addition partially obscures the background of wild grasses. Nevertheless, the softness of the flesh tones and the delicacy of the nymph’s profile, rendered in three different pencils, remain intact. We would like to thank Ms Françoise Joulie for kindly confirming the authenticity of this drawing following a visual examination on 4 June 2026. We would like to thank Ms Laure-Aline Demazure for examining this work on 20 April 2026, which she considers to be from Boucher’s studio. Mr Alastair Laing had expressed the same opinion a few years earlier when the second version of the drawing came up for sale. Attributed to François BOUCHER (Paris, 1703–1770) 25.5 x 40 cm
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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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