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Hôtel des Ventes de Clermont-Ferrand
Nicolas LOIR (Paris, 1624 - 1679)
The Holy Family with a dis…
See original version (French)
Nicolas LOIR (Paris, 1624 - 1679)
The Holy Family with a dis…
See original version (French)
Estimate €15,000 - €20,000
Mixed sale
Description
Nicolas LOIR (Paris, 1624 - 1679)
The Holy Family with a dish of figs
Canvas
Height : 75 cm
Width : 107 cm
Oak leaf carved wooden frame, gilded, work of the Rhone valley from the 17th century
Minor accidents
Expert : Cabinet Turquin
Our painting is one of Nicolas Loir's masterpieces, painted for an amateur, as indicated by its format for a collector's gallery.
intended for a collector's gallery. For his pleasure, the
composition combines figures, architecture, a river landscape and a still life.
still life. The pictorial references to Bourdon and Poussin ensure a certain refinement for its
its owner. Here, the painter pays homage to Nicolas Poussin's Holy Family on the Stairs
the geometric rigour, the triangular composition, the elevation of the group on a stone base
the subtle interplay of curves between the figures, which contrast with the horizontal lines of the landscape
of the landscape and the verticals of the buildings, as well as the fruit bowl on the ground. From
the archaeological research of the sphinx and the bas-relief on the right, the landscape constructed
is very much in the spirit of Poussin. The limpid, luminous atmosphere, with no
the fine, smooth brushstrokes belong to the Parisian Atticist movement. Loir affirms
his taste for colour and the tenderness of physiognomies inherited from Sébastien Bourdon and
Jacques Stella, for example in the kneeling boy in white. The finesse of his line and the
delicate gestures, such as the graceful exchange between the children, reveal the full extent of his
talent. The dish of figs, associated with the fruits of the earth brought to the Holy Family during their flight from Egypt, is traditionally a symbol of the Holy Family.
escape from Egypt, is traditionally considered a symbol of fertility.
The son of a silversmith, Nicolas Loir trained with illustrious masters such as Sébastien Bourdon and
Simon Vouet before travelling to Italy between 1647 and 1649. This stay in Rome was
was marked by his meeting with Nicolas Poussin, whose work had a decisive influence on his painting.
on his painting. On his return, he was admitted to the Académie Royale in 1663 on the recommendation of
recommendation of Charles Lebrun. A versatile talent, he took part in the Court's prestigious worksites, notably
the Tuileries Palace, Vincennes and Queen Marie-Thérèse's flats in Versailles.
Dezallier d'Argenville, who owned several of his works, underlined his "great talent
for painting female figures and children, as well as a "preference for colour". We
We would like to thank Moana Weil-Curiel for confirming that the work was attributed to Nicolas Loir.
of the work on 9 March 2026.
15 000 / 20 000
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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