Galerie Dreyfus
28
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ANTOINE ETEX (PARIS, 1808 – CHAVILLE, 1888)
L’Ile des Plaisi…
See original version (French)
28
-
ANTOINE ETEX (PARIS, 1808 – CHAVILLE, 1888)
L’Ile des Plaisi…
See original version (French)
Estimate €14,000 - €18,000
Voluntary lot
Description
ANTOINE ETEX
(PARIS, 1808 – CHAVILLE, 1888)
L’Ile des Plaisirs
1878
Oil on canvas
original frame
88 x 116 cm
Provenance
Antoine Etex Collection; featured in the sale following the death of Antoine Etex,
Paris, Hôtel Drouot, 25 and 26 February 1889;
Acquired at that sale by the current owner’s great-grandfather.
What pleasures are to be found on this island? In the centre, a dancing couple perform
a few steps to the rhythm of a guitarist seated on the right amidst a
group of attentive spectators. On the left, a couple bent over their libretto are reciting or
singing some poetic hymn. In the background, beneath the canopy of a grove, three
couples stand set apart. The couple in the centre watch the dancers, whilst the other two
chat, oblivious to the festivities. Finally, in the distance, a boat suggests that water
surrounds this strip of land, the bank of which is visible in the very foreground. The strangeness of the
scene lies in the characters’ anachronistic costumes. The central couple, dressed in
ancient style, seem to be acting as a jury, like two guardian deities presiding over these
earthly pleasures. The young girl to their right, comforted by her mother, has the appearance of a vestal virgin
or a young bride. The rest of the assembly are dressed in Italian folk costumes typical of
peasants dressed in their Sunday best. The two women in the foreground, however, stand out due to their
more urban-style dresses, which suggest a more bourgeois social status. Finally, the central dancer,
in a pink costume, seems to have stepped straight out of the Commedia dell’arte. Whilst the landscape owes much to
Corot’s ethereal touch, the figures, for their part, are painted with precision and in
a vivid yet delicate palette that sets them apart from their more loosely rendered landscape setting. The green
carpet on which they perform highlights their silhouettes and movements. The
pyramidal composition, skilfully arranged in a semicircle, is based on balance and symmetry. Of
classical style, the work—which could illustrate a short story by Boccaccio—stands as
an heir to the Renaissance as much as to Carracci or Poussin. Here, Etex draws on his
journey to Italy and the lessons of the great masters.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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