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Hôtel des Ventes de Clermont-Ferrand
96
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Nicolas LOIR (Paris, 1624 – 1679)
The Holy Family with a Pla…
See original version (French)
96
-
Nicolas LOIR (Paris, 1624 – 1679)
The Holy Family with a Pla…
See original version (French)
Estimate €15,000 - €20,000
Voluntary lot
Description
Nicolas LOIR (Paris, 1624 – 1679)
The Holy Family with a Plate of Figs
Canvas
Height: 75 cm
Width: 107 cm
Carved wooden frame with oak leaf decoration, re-gilded, 17th-century work from the Rhône Valley
Minor imperfections
Expert: Cabinet Turquin
Our painting is one of Nicolas Loir’s masterpieces, painted for a private collector, as indicated by its format, which was intended for a collector’s gallery. For the collector’s enjoyment, the composition brings together figures, architecture, a riverside landscape and a still life. The pictorial references to Bourdon and Poussin lend a certain refinement to its owner. Here, the painter pays homage to Nicolas Poussin’s *The Holy Family on the Stairs*, drawing on its geometric rigour, triangular composition, the elevation of the group on a stone plinth, a subtle interplay of the figures’ curves contrasting with the horizontal lines of the landscape and the verticals of the buildings, as well as the presence of the bowl of fruit on the ground. Similarly, the archaeological detail of the sphinx and the bas-relief on the right, and the landscape constructed in successive planes, are very much in the spirit of Poussin. The clear, luminous atmosphere, devoid of shadow contrasts, and the fine, smooth brushwork are characteristic of the Parisian Atticist movement.
Loir affirms his taste for colour and the tenderness of facial expressions, inherited from Sébastien Bourdon and Jacques Stella, as seen, for example, in the kneeling boy dressed in white. The finesse of his line and the delicacy of the gestures—such as the graceful interaction between the children here—reveal the extent of his talent. The dish of figs, associated with the fruits of the earth brought to the Holy Family during the Flight into Egypt, is traditionally regarded as a symbol of fertility.
The son of a goldsmith, Nicolas Loir trained under illustrious masters such as Sébastien Bourdon and Simon Vouet
before embarking on a journey to Italy between 1647 and 1649. His stay in Rome was marked by his encounter with Nicolas Poussin, whose work exerted a decisive influence on his painting. On his return, he was admitted to the Royal Academy in 1663 thanks to a recommendation from Charles Lebrun. A versatile artist, he took part in prestigious projects for the Court, notably at the Tuileries Palace, the Palace of Vincennes and Queen Marie-Thérèse’s apartments at Versailles. Dezallier d’Argenville, who owned several of his works, highlighted his ‘great talent’ for painting female figures and children, as well as a ‘preference for colour’.
We would like to thank Moana Weil-Curiel for confirming the attribution to Nicolas Loir, following a direct examination of the work on 9 March 2026.
An alternative attribution to Charles Alphonse Dufresnoy has been suggested by Mr Patrice Marandet and Mr Sylvain Kerspern.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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