VILLANFRAY POMMERY
184
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Henri-Théodore FANTIN-LATOUR (1836–1904).
See original version (French)
184
-
Henri-Théodore FANTIN-LATOUR (1836–1904).
See original version (French)
Estimate €600 - €800
Voluntary lot
Description
Henri-Théodore FANTIN-LATOUR (1836–1904). Study for *The Toilet of Venus* (?) or *The Odalisques*. Coloured pencils and stump. Ink stamp ‘Fantin’ in the bottom right-hand corner. 19.5 x 18 cm (visible area).
The mark shown opposite, reproducing the master’s signature, was made after his death by Madame Fantin, and affixed exclusively to unsigned drawings and sketches found in the artist’s boxes.
Provenance: Collignon-Laurent, Soissons, auction 17 February 2001, lot 118
This composition, probably a preparatory study, depicts a mythological scene reminiscent of Venus’s toilet. At the centre of the scene, the nude goddess is surrounded by young women attending to her, whilst a musician accompanies this intimate moment with a gentle melody. Executed in coloured pencils and with a stump, the work reveals the full delicacy of Fantin-Latour’s line. The deliberately blurred contours, the coloured highlights and the ethereal atmosphere lend the scene a distinctly musical poetry, characteristic of the artist’s Symbolist world. More than a narrative depiction, this drawing emphasises the grace of the figures and the harmony of the composition, striking a subtle balance between dream, ideal beauty and classical allusion.
See original version (French)
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Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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