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Heads of a woman in a headscarf and two bearded men

Maker

(artist)
1703-1770

Title

Date of Production

1700 - 1799

Medium

black chalk (moistened), with stumping, on laid paper, with black ink framing lines

Dimensions

Height: 30 cm
Width: 23.1 cm

Accession Number

D.1952.RW.3200

Mode of Acquisition

Robert Clermont Witt, bequest, 1952

Credit

The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

Copyright

Work in the public domain

Location

Not currently on display

Keywords

Label Text

This enigmatic drawing may be a study composed of three unrelated heads rather than a finished composition. The boldly drawn heads of the old men contrast with the more softly drawn features of the young woman with its curved hatching and dots, reminiscent of contemporary engraving techniques. The artist has used moisture to dilute the black chalk and rendered it grey in places.

Provenance

Jean-Baptiste Glomy, Paris (1711-1786), L.1119; Sotheby's (London), 13 February 1935, lot 2; purchased after the sale from the owner by Colnaghi (London); purchased there by Sir Robert Witt, London (1872-1952), L.2228b, 7 January 1943 (£18); Witt Bequest 1952 See long description for a note about the provenance.

Exhibition History

A Passion for Drawings, Collectors at the Courtauld, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 28/02/2002-09/06/2002

A selection of drawings from the Witt collection: French drawings c. 1600-c. 1800, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 1962

French Masters - Rococo to Romanticism, UCLA, Los Angeles, 1961 ...More

Old Master Drawings from the Witt Collection, Auckland City Art Gallery, 01/09/1960-01/10/1960

Drawings from the Witt Collection at the Courtauld Institute of Art, St James's Square, London; York City Art Gallery; Peterborough Art Gallery, 1953

Old Masters from the Witt Collection, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 01/01/1943-01/05/1943 ...Less

Literature

Old Master Drawings from the Witt Collection, Auckland City Art Gallery, 1960
cat. no. 64

Drawings from the Witt Collection at the Courtauld Institute of Art, St James's Square, London, York City Art Gallery and Peterborough Art Gallery, 1953
cat. no. 71

Inscriptions

Watermark: Watermark: none.

Inscription: Recto: lower right corner, graphite, faded, written over L.1120: "5/". Scrap of paper removed from mount, now in file: graphite, Colnaghi number and price: "A7357 / cx/-/- / £35/-/- //"; graphite: "A study of three heads / by Francois Boucher / ce. / £50 [with an arrow pointing to it] this had been erased //".

Collector's mark: Recto: lower right corner, blindstamped: Jean-Baptiste Glomy (L.1119). Verso: lower left corner, stamped in black ink: Sir Robert Witt (L.2228b).

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