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an image of a painting of a group of people in a body of wateran image of a painting of a group of people in a body of wateran image of a painting of a group of people in a body of watera picture of an old wooden picture frame on a wall
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250 - Jean-Baptiste Marie PIERRE (Paris, 1714 – 1789) The Abductio…
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Estimate €15,000 - €20,000
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Description
Jean-Baptiste Marie PIERRE (Paris, 1714 – 1789) The Abduction of Europa Oil on paper mounted on canvas (Restored) In a carved and gilded oak frame, a French piece from the Louis XIV period 42.5 x 41.5 cm Our sketch can be linked to two works: *The Abduction of Europa*, painted in 1750 for Claude-Henri Watelet, now in the Dallas Museum (p. 125, fig. 1)1 and with the painting executed in 1757 for the series known as *Les Amours des dieux*, commissioned for the Marquis de Marigny, which was destroyed in Arras during the First World War (*p. 195*)2. It may in fact be regarded as a preparatory work for either of these two paintings, depending on whether one focuses on its composition or its format. The composition bears closer resemblance to the first painting, which is set on the water (even though the general direction of viewing is reversed), than to the second, whose scene takes place on the shore. However, the square format of the sketch is problematic, as Watelet’s commission had a specific purpose. The final work was intended to be placed alongside the two paintings by François Boucher from the collection of the lawyer Derbais, for whom Boucher had painted them in 1732 and which Watelet owned in 1750. The slightly elongated format was therefore important from the outset to maintain the harmony of the three works, which remained together in all of Watelet’s homes and were sold together upon his death.³ The square format and dimensions might therefore correspond more closely to the sketch of the Marigny cartoon catalogued as *P. 1944 in Nicolas Lesur’s catalogue and which for a time remained with the sketch held in Auxerre (P. 227)⁵ of another Gobelins tapestry cartoon held at the Louvre (P. 228)⁶. However, another square-format sketch, with a composition much closer to the Arras tapestry, has recently resurfaced (Paris, Talabardon and Gautier Gallery; its sale, Paris, Hôtel Drouot, Ader, 21 March 2023, lot 7, colour reproduction in the catalogue). This sketch could well correspond to *P. 194. Furthermore, according to Nicolas Lesur, our sketch may have been painted to prepare the design intended for the Gobelins. Pierre would then have drawn his inspiration from the work he had produced a few years earlier for Watelet, which may have led Marigny to ask him to rethink his composition in favour of a fresher idea, resulting in the second sketch and subsequently the cartoon formerly held in Arras. We would like to thank Mr Nicolas Lesur for kindly confirming the authenticity of this work in an email dated 1 September 2025, and for his invaluable assistance in drafting this entry. 1. Nicolas Lesur, Olivier Aaron, Jean-Baptiste Marie Pierre 1714–1789. Premier peintre du roi, Paris, 2009, pp. 261–262. 2. Ibid., pp. 284–285. 3. Their collaboration had, moreover, been highlighted by Paillet, who compiled the catalogue. 4. Nicolas Lesur, Olivier Aaron, op. cit., p. 284. 5. Ibid., p. 299. 6. Ibid., p. 299. Jean-Baptiste Marie PIERRE (Paris, 1714 – 1789) 42.5 x 41.5 cm
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About the sale Old Masters & 19th-century masters
Auction location
Auction time 09/15/2026 at 11:00 AM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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