Property from a European Private Collection
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres
The young Raphael taking leave of the Duchess of Urbino
Auction Closed
July 6, 10:38 AM GMT
Estimate
8,000 - 12,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
Property from a European Private Collection
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres
Montauban 1780 - 1867 Paris
The young Raphael taking leave of the Duchess of Urbino
Pen and brown ink within black chalk framing lines;
signed in black chalk, lower left: Ing -
according to an old label attached to the backing the drawing is inscribed, verso: Ingres a l'honneur de prier son Excellence Monsieur le directeur de la Galarie Imp et Royle de lui acce... la permission de dessiner d'apres un portrait de fi.. et de faire autres croquis d'apres d'autres Portraits qu... sont dans les ....corridor ... Pitti -
127 by 196 mm
with Galerie Petit, Paris, 1867;
Private Collection;
sale, New York, Christie's, 25 May 1984, lot 284;
Jan Krugier (1928-2008), Geneva,
by whose Estate sold, London, Replica Shoes 's, 9 July 2014, lot 143
Linie, Licht und Schatten, Meisterzeichnungen und Skulpturen der Sammlung Jan und Marie-Anne Krugier-Poniatowski, exhib. cat., Berlin 1999, p. 407, reproduced;
The Timeless Eye. Master Drawings from the Jan and Marie-Anne Krugier-Poniatowski Collection, exhib. cat., Venice 1999, p. 406, reproduced
In September 1806 Ingres moved from Paris to Rome where he was to reside for the majority of the next fourteen years. It was to be during this period in Roma Aeterna that he, unsurprisingly, became particularly influenced by the genius of Raphael, leading to paintings such as the three versions of Raphael and the Fornarina, executed between 1813-1814 1 as well as a group of eight 'Sujets de la vie Raphael' which were recorded in the artist’s own notes. 2The present work, which belongs to this aforementioned group, was described by Ingres as: Le jeune Raphael prend congé de la duchesse d’Urbin, sa protectrice, qui lui remet une lettre de recommandation. Il est accompagné de son père, le duc présent et lisant une lettre qui vient de lui remettre un page, ou bien s'armant pour une escarmouche.
Ironically, given Ingres' near obsession with the life and work of Raphael, it was not in fact the Duchess of Urbino but rather her sister-in-law, Giovanna da Montefeltro, who acted as the young Raphael’s protectress, providing him with a letter of introduction to Piero Soderini, Gonfaloniere of Florence, as portrayed in the present work. This slight historical oversight on Ingres’ part does not, however, in any way detract from this drawing, which possesses all of the fluency, spontaneity and strength of composition that one would hope for in a work of this type.
1. G. Vigne, Dessins d'Ingres, Catalogue raisonné des dessins du musée de Montauban, Paris 1995, pp. 168-169
2. Delaborde, op. cit.
