Jean-Antoine WATTEAU (Valenciennes, 1684 - Nogent-sur-Marne, 1721)

Lot 14
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Estimation :
30000 - 40000 EUR
Jean-Antoine WATTEAU (Valenciennes, 1684 - Nogent-sur-Marne, 1721)
Head of a young woman in profile towards the left Three pencils 10 x 8.5 cm Labels on the reverse of the frame with the numbers "174" and "2" Glued in full, trace of ink above the head (5cm), slightly unstained, original fold (2cm) running from the top edge to the center. Provenance: - Former collection of the miniaturist Pierre-Adolphe Hall (1739-1793), probably purchased at the Boucher sale of 1771 (part of lot 346), stamped as "Huquier" on the lower right (L.1285); probably sale of 15 November 1779, possibly part of lot 403, purchased by Desmarets - Former collection of H. Porgès (old label on the reverse of the frame). This delightful unpublished study by Watteau joins the important group of drawings by Watteau owned by the Swedish-born miniaturist Peter-Adolf Hall (1739-1793). Some of these Watteau drawings came from the artist François Boucher, who engraved some of them. Pierre Adolphe, as he was called in France, had married a beautiful woman who loved to gamble and lost a lot. He too lived recklessly, and the couple, despite the large dowry of Marie-Adélaïde (daughter of a prominent merchant and niece of the painter Jean-Baptiste Oudry), ended up in debt. It was probably to pay off the debts of their lavish lifestyle that Hall was forced to sell his collection of paintings and drawings on 15 November 1779. The collection included a number of important works, such as the recently rediscovered painting by Fragonard (anonymous sale, Epernay, 26 June 2021, Enchères Champagne, expert cabinet Turquin). The collection mark was long confused with that of the engraver Huquier, before being returned to Hall (see M.A. Dupuy-Vachey, "Lugt 1285: From Gabriel Huquier to Peter Adolf Hall", Master Drawings, 2017, no. 4, pp. 485-538).
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