Antiques, Decorative and Fine Arts Auction
Antiques, Decorative and Fine Arts Auction
Lot 194: French School, 1809 Academic Male Profile Drawing, Circle of Jacques-Louis David
2026-04-25T15:00:00Z
Start price: CAD $50
Lot 194:
French School, 1809 Academic Male Profile Drawing, Circle of Jacques-Louis David
Description
Academic pencil drawing depicting a young male in right-facing profile, rendered with refined tonal gradation and disciplined linear clarity characteristic of early 19th-century French neoclassical training. The composition reflects the rigorous atelier practice associated with the circle of Jacques-Louis David, emphasizing idealized anatomy, sculptural modeling, and restraint.
Details
School: French School
Artist: Attributed to Monsieur Chausse de Pairescou
Circle: Jacques-Louis David (1748–1825)
Date: 1809 (inscribed)
Medium: Graphite on paper
Inscription: Lower margin, in French
Frame: Framed under glass
Dimensions: 49.8 × 41 cm (19.6 × 16.1 in)
Condition:
Foxing, toning, and water staining, more pronounced at margins; edge wear, creases, and minor losses; surface abrasions and handling marks; overall condition consistent with an early 19th-century academic study.
Inscription
Fait par Mr. Chausse de Pairescou pour Mr. Grégoire élève de David. An 1809.
(“Made by Mr. Chausse de Pairescou for Mr. Grégoire, student of David. Year 1809.”)
Catalogue Note
This drawing is an example of French academic draftsmanship from the Napoleonic period, and the inscription provides valuable contextual anchoring, identifying both the draughtsman and the intended recipient, noted as a pupil of David. Such presentation or exchange drawings were integral to academic culture, functioning both as pedagogical tools and as markers of artistic lineage within the atelier system.
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