Fleury François RICHARD known as Fleury RICHARD... - Lot 331 - De Baecque et Associés

Lot 331
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Estimation :
8000 - 10000 EUR
Fleury François RICHARD known as Fleury RICHARD... - Lot 331 - De Baecque et Associés
Fleury François RICHARD known as Fleury RICHARD (1777-1852) The Tasso in prison visited by Montaigne Oil on canvas H. 120 cm W. 95 cm HVS Wear and tear, small accidents and missing parts, accidents to the frame Provenance: Descendants of the artist Bibliography: Jean-Pierre Cuzin, "Is there a troubadour painting? Notes about a recent exhibition", in "L'information d'Histoire de l'Art", March-April 1974, p. 80. Marie-Claude Chaudonneret, "La Peinture Troubadour", Paris, Arthéna, 1980, N°44, p.82. Patrice Béghain and Gérard Bruyère, "Fleury Richard (1777-1852): les pinceaux de la mélancolie", Lyon, EMCC, 2014, p. 285, note 37 (then considered a copy by the painter's wife, Blanche Menut). Exhibition: "Le Style troubadour", Bourg-en-Bresse, Musée de Brou, 1971, No. 76 of the catalogue. Related work : The painting kept in the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon (Inv. A-235) that the artist had presented at the Salon of 1822 (N°1087). Michel de Montaigne visited Le Tasse who was locked up in the prison of the Fools in Ferrara. This famous composition by Fleury Richard is inspired by chapter XII of the Essays where the author describes the episode. The painter places the scene in an architecture directly inspired by the crypt of Saint-Irénée in Lyon. In the foreground the two men of letters are talking while a jailer holds the heavy door which opens onto the outside through a strong perspective. Our painting had already been presented to the public in 1971 and published in the catalogue of Fleury Richard's work by Marie-Claude Chaudonneret as an autograph. A mention in an inventory dating from after 1890, and annotated later, indicates that it is in the hand of Blanche Menut (1783-1855), the painter's wife. It is this last document which is quoted by Messrs Béghain and Bruyère, suggesting that the work we are presenting here may have been in Blanche Menut's hand. A direct comparison of the painting with the artist's submission to the Salon of 1822 reveals that it is indeed the same hand that produced both paintings. The finesse and delicacy of the artist can be seen in the details of the hair and fabrics. In addition, several variations should be noted: the framing is slightly off-centre compared to the version in the Musée des Beaux-arts de Lyon, vegetation enlivens the sky, the hourglass of the Tasse is absent from the composition and, finally, the numerous manuscripts and books that litter the ground are not inscribed, unlike the 1822 Salon submission. The work presented here is an autograph replica of Montaigne visiting Tasso, a preparatory sketch or riccordo piously kept by the artist and then by his descendants. We would like to thank the team of the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon for their help in comparing the two works.
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