by-nc

Sheet of figure studies

Maker

(artist)
1791-1824

Title

Sheet of figure studies

Date of Production

(circa) 1817 - 1818

Medium

graphite, pen and dark and light brown ink on laid paper, now laid down on Japanese tissue

Dimensions

Height: 21.5 cm
Width: 33.9 cm

Accession Number

D.1952.RW.714

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 sheet of studies may have originally formed part of a sketchbook. Most of the groups are related to military subjects, betraying the artist’s preoccupation with military life under Napoleon. While the studies do not seem to be directly preparatory, many motifs reappear in Géricault’s finished paintings. The group of five soldiers at centre right relates to 'The Epidemic of Yellow Fever at Cadiz' of 1819. There the man seen from behind is based on the figure of the sleeping soldier in the drawing.

Provenance

Théodore Sauvé (1792-1869), by 1867 [as published in Clément,1867]; unidentified collector, L.2084; Aimé-Charles-Horace His de la Salle, Paris (1795-1878), L.1333; Craddock & Barnard (London); purchased there by Sir Robert Witt, London (1872-1952), L.2228b, n.d. (£2); Witt Bequest 1952

Exhibition History

Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, The Frick Collection, New York, 02/10/2012-27/01/2013

Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 14/06/2012-09/09/2012

French Drawings: XVI-XIX Centuries, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 04/07/1991-06/10/1991 ...More

Gericault 1791-1824, Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco, 28/01/1989-26/03/1989

Géricault, Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Detroit Institute of Arts; Philadelphia Museum of Art, 12/10/1971-14/05/1972

unnumbered typescript - title was possibly 'A Selection of Drawings from The Witt/Courtauld Collections [as exhibited in 1964 at University of Sussex, Falmer]', Nottingham University, 1966

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

French Master Drawings, Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea, 1962

? (information from Witt card), "through Mrs Browse" [ie Lillian Browse], 1943 ...Less

Literature

Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, Frick Collection, New York and Courtauld Gallery, London London 2012-2013
no. 48

Fehlmann, Marc, Thédore Géricault: das zürcher skizzenbuch, Zurich 1998
p. 54

Whitney, Wheelock, Gericault in Italy, New Haven and London 1997
pp. 68-69, 183
Fig. 85 on p. 68 ...More

Bazin, Germain, Théodore Géricault: étude critique, documents et catalogue raisonné, Wildenstein Institute, Paris 1987-1997; 7 vols
vol. V, no. 1540 and p. 38
Illus. p. 170

Prendeville, Brendan, 'The features of insanity, as seen by Géricault and by Büchner' in 'Oxford Art Journal', 1995; 18, 1
pp. 104, 110-111
Fig. 13 on p. 111

French Drawings: XVI-XIX Centuries, Courtauld Gallery, London, 1991
no. 24, p. 54
Fig. p. 55

Gericault 1791-1824, Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco, 1989
cat. no. no. 23

Master drawings by Géricault, Pierpont Morgan Library, New York; San Diego Museum of Art; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 1985-1986
p. 71, under no. 24 and p. 153 under no. 81
Fig. 24b on p. 71

Géricault, Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Detroit Institute of Arts; Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1971-72
cat. no. 60
Illus. p. 101

Courtauld Institute Galleries, A selection of drawings from the Witt Collection. French drawings c 1600 - c 1800, London 1962
no. 62

Clément, Charles, Géricault: étude biographique et critique avec le catalogue raisonné de l’oeuvre du maître, Paris 1868
under no. 19

Eitner, Lorenz, Charles Clément: Géricault: étude biographique et critique avec le catalogue raisonne de l'oeuvre du Maitre, Paris 1973 (supp. of 1868)
no. 19

Clément, Charles, Gazette des Beaux-Arts, October 1867; 23
no. 19 ...Less

Inscriptions

Watermark: Watermark: centre: dragon or wyvern.

Inscription: Mount (removed, in portfolio from P&D), Recto: lower left, graphite: “714 [arrow pointing up] coll of / 33 / Jean L.A.T. Géricault born Rouen 1791 d 1824 //”; lower centre, brown ink: “No 194.”; lower right, graphite: “#10”; lower right corner, graphite [misidentification of L.2084]: “Coll. Paul Huart ^ / " His de la Salle //”.

Collector's mark: Recto: lower left, stamped in black ink: unidentified collector’s mark (L.2084); lower left, stamped in black ink: Aimé-Charles-Horace His de la Salle (L.1333). Mount (removed, in portfolio from P&D), Recto: lower left corner, stamped in black ink: Sir Robert Witt (L.2228b).

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