20/6/23 - Art Market - Paris - The shadow of the great masters hangs over the Tajan sale on 21 June in Paris, which brings together several paintings whose attribution is not certain, but whose quality is undeniable. This is the case of Saint James, which is thought to have been painted in Georges de La Tour’s studio by one of his collaborators). This painting is probably an example of a composition by the master that has now disappeared. The original model could date from the years 1640-1645, its design being close to that of the Magdalenes painted by Georges de La Tour during this period, of which several versions are known, including those in the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Louvre. For both Saint James and Mary Magdalene, the artist depicted a meditative full-length figure, seated in front of a table with a candle glowing in the half-light.
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- 1. Workshop of Georges de La Tour (1593-1652)
Saint James, c. 1640
Oil on canvas - 132 x 100 cm
Sale Tajan, Paris, 21 June 2013
Photo: Tajan - See the image in its page
The Saint, recognisable by the two shells on his cloak and his pilgrim’s staff, is reading a book. The page he is turning completely hides the candle; this choice to conceal the light source is found in Washington’s Madeleine with Mirror. The Saint’s face resembles that of Saint Alexis and the treatment of light is comparable to that of Saint Joseph the Carpenter. The painter represented Saint James in a very different way in the series known as the Albi Apostles, showing him in bust form, wearing a hat.
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- 2. Entourage of Simon Vouet (1590-1649)
Virgin and Child, c. 1640
Oil on canvas - 88 x 75.5 cm
Tajan sale, Paris, 21 June 2013
Photo: Tajan - See the image in its page
Another notable painting, a Virgin and Child attributed to the entourage of Simon Vouet had already passed at Sotheby’s in 2015 (ill. 2). Moana Weil-Curiel suggested that it might be a work by Michel I Corneille in an article published on this site in 2017 (see article). It is comparable to the many representations of the Madonna that Vouet painted in the years 1638-1640, more particularly the Virgin with Curtain or Virgin with Nappy, engraved by Pierre Daret in 1640. The style is also reminiscent of the master’s paintings of this period, marked by a lively brushwork and impasto. The square format and large size of this composition also contribute to its dynamism.
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- 3. Lubin Baugin (1610-1663)
Virgin of Sorrows
Oil on canvas - 61.50 x 47 cm
Tajan sale, Paris, 21 June 2013
Photo: Tajan - See the image in its page
We move from Mary tenderly swaddling the Infant Jesus to the Virgin of Sorrows at the foot of the cross, shown in bust by Lubin Baugin in a painting that was exhibited by Eric Coatalem (ill. 3). The gallery owner had in fact devoted an exhibition, accompanied by a catalogue, to the artist’s religious and mythological works from private collections. The subject was treated more broadly by Baugin in the painting for Notre Dame de Paris, The Dead Christ on the Virgin’s Lap. Last March, the Louvre preempted a painting by Baugin that also depicts the death of a son and the grief of his parents: Adam and Eve mourning Abel (see news item of 25/3/23).
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- 4. Attributed to Giovanni Agostino da Lodi (1470-c. 1519)
Head of Saint John the Baptist
Oil on panel - 26.6 x 20.3 cm
Sale Tajan, Paris, 21 June 2013
Photo: Tajan - See the image in its page
Finally, a Head of Saint John the Baptist, attributed to Giovanni Agostino da Lodi is an unpublished painting dated 1510 (ill. 4). It is very close, albeit inverted, to a later, larger composition in the National Gallery in London, painted in 1511; this was given to Gian Francesco de Maineri for a time before falling into obscurity. Giovanni Agostino da Lodi individualises his figures, as in the case of John the Baptist, who seems to have been drawn from a live model, while the very fine curls of hair are translated in a particular way, using parallel strokes. The sfumato is borrowed from the art of Leonardo da Vinci, obtained using the same technique of superimposing thin layers of glaze to blur the contours. Giovanni Agostino da Lodi, a painter whose works were grouped together under the name "pseudo-Boccaccino", divided his time between Lombardy and Veneto, a dual influence palpable in the only painting signed by him The Master and his Pupil.
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- 5. Laurent de La Hyre (1606-1656)
The Rape of Europa
Pencil - 28.5 x 22.5 cm
Tajan sale, Paris, 21 June 2013
Photo: Tajan - See the image in its page
Several sheets are also part of this sale, including The Dream of Joseph traced in a few feather strokes by Jan Lievens and The Rape of Europa by Laurent de La Hyre preparatory to an oil on canvas in the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (ill. 5).
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- 6. Jean-Baptiste Jacques Augustin (1759-1832)
Young Woman Holding a Pug, c. 1795
Miniature on ivory - D. 7,6 cm
Tajan sale, Paris, 21 June 2013
Photo: Tajan - See the image in its page
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Finally, several lots come from the collection of miniatures assembled in the 1930s by Léon Creissels, honorary counsellor at the Paris Court of Appeal, president of the Assize Court, writer, art critic and lecturer. There are small portraits by Lagrenée fils and Ingres père, as well as by the Swede Pierre Adolphe Hall, Jean-Baptiste Jacques Augustin, Périn-Salbreux and François Dumont (ill. 6). This collection brings together some of the greatest names in 18th and 19th century miniature painting. The one put up for sale by Atcurial last week also provided a good overview (see news item of 12/6/23).