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Heureux age! age d’or (copy 1)
Entered December 2023

Whereabouts unknown

Oil on panel

27 cm (diameter)

 

PROVENANCE

Paris, collection of Mme. S. G. Her sale, Paris, Georges Petit, May 22, 1919, sole painting in sale: “WATTEAU (ANTOINE) . . .  Gravé par Tardieu. Peinture sur bois de forme ronde; a dû être primitivement de forme carrée. Cadre en bois sculpté et doré. Diam. 27 cent.
    Catalogue raisonné de l’Oeuvre de Watteau, par Edmond de Goncourt: Heureux age! Age d’or, où sans inquiètude. Watteau pinx.; Tardieu, sculp. Ce Tableau de l’Heureux Age, indiqué par Tardieu, comme gravé par Tardieu, et désigné sous le titre «Une bande d’Arlequin » était le second tableau de Watteau possédé par la Comtesse de Verrue. Ce tableau se vendait avec l’Assemblée galante 531, L., sous le no 83 de la vente de la Comtesse de Verrue, en mars 1737. Cette oeuvre aurait appartenu à la Live de Jully, et serait passé de cette collection dans celle du financier Crozat.” Sold for 30,100 francs to Leroux de Villers.

Paris, collection of Madame X. Her sale, Paris, Galerie Charpentier, May 12, 1939, lot 29: “WATTEAU (Attribué à ANTOINE) . . . L’heureux âge . . . Bois de forme ronde. Diam. 0m  27. Cadre en bois sculpté.
   Collection de Mme S. G. . . . vente à Paris, Galerie G. Petit, le 22 mai 1919, catalogue d’un tableau par Antoine Watteau: «heureux âge» Reproduit au catalogue. Répétition, de forme arrondie, du tableau gravé par N. Tardieu et cité par Mariette comme faisant partie de la collection de la Comtesse de Verrue (Vente à Paris, le 27 mars 1737, no 83). Cf. Jean de Jullienne et les graveurs de Watteau au XVIIIe  siècle, par E. Dacier et A. Vuaflart, vol. III, page 36, no 75.

New York, sale, Christie’s Online, June 12-19, 2020, lot 80: “After Jean-Antoine Watteau, L’heureux âge! Age d’or / oil on panel, circular / 10 7/8 in. (27.5 cm.) diameter / in its original(?) 18th-century French frame / Provenance / (Possibly Pierre Crozat (1655-1740) (according to the 1919 sale). (Possibly) Ange-Laurent de La Live de Jully (d. 1779), Paris (according to the 1719 sale). Mme. S. G.; (+) Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, 22 May 1919, dedicated catalogue, as ‘Antoine Watteau (30,100 francs to Leroux de Villers), with incorrect provenance.  / Medium oil on panel /  Size Width 10.8 in; Depth 10.8 in
/ (Width 27.5 cm; Depth 27.5 cm. / Misc. Inscribed . . . Estimate 3,000 – 5,000 USD . . . “
Sold for $2,750 USD plus premium.

Estimate: USD 3,000 – USD 5,000.”

 

SELECT BIBLIOGRAHY

Dacier, Vuaflart, and Hérold, Jean de Jullienne et les graveurs (1921-29), 3: under cat. 75.

Macchia and Montagni, L’opera completa di Watteau (1969), under cat. 201.

Washington, Paris, Berlin, Watteau 1684-1721 (1984), under cat. P 50.

 

REMARKS

When the painting was sold in 1919, it was claimed that it was by Watteau himself and  that, after leaving the Comtesse de Verrue’s collection, it belonged to Pierre Crozat (1655-1740) and Ange Laurent La Live de Jully (1725-1779). This provenance is most unlikely. First, the quality of execution does not compare favorably with Watteau’s established oeuvre. Moreover, there is no reference to this picture in either man’s collection. Its circular format suggests it was not executed until the latter part of the eighteenth century when circular pictures were in vogue. Watteau and his era preferred oval paintings. In recent times, scholars rightly turned away from thinking that this picture is autograph.

 

Heureux age! age d’or (copy 2)
Entered December 2023

Whereabouts unknown

Oil on panel

20 x 24 cm

 

           
ALTERNATIVE TITLES

Children at Play in a Landscape

 

PROVENANCE

Paris, collection of Jaime Ortiz-Patiño (1930-2013; industrialist)). His and others’ sale, New York, Sotheby’s, January 5, 1987, lot 106: “Property of the Patiño Collection . . .  Follower of Antoine Watteau / CHILDREN AT PLAY IN A LANDSCAPE / oil on panel / 8 by 9½ in. 20 x 24 cm. The present picture is an 18th-century copy after Happy Age, Golden Age by Watteau in the Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth. $4,000-6,000.”

Paris, Patiño collection. Its sale and others, Paris, Sotheby’s, June 23, 2011, lot 54: “ANCIENNE COLLECTION DE MADAME ANTENOR PATINO . . . Suiveur de Jean-Antoine Watteau / GROUPE D’ENFANTS / Huile sur panneau / 20 cm x 24.2 cm; 8 by 9 ½  / PROVENANCE / Vente anonyme, Christie’s, New York, 9 juin 1978, no 135, reproduit planche 57 / BIBLI0GRAPHIE / Watteau 1684 -1721. Washington, Paris, Berlin 1984 – 1985, reproduit p. 367 fig. 2. L’original de cette composition par Jean-Antoine, Heureux age! age d’or . . . est conservé au Kimbell Art Museum à Fort Worth. ±5 000-7 000 € /  ±4 450-6 300€  7 400-10 300 US$. Follower of Jean-Antoine Watteau. Group of children. Oil on panel.” Bought in.

Paris, collection of Madame Antenor Patiño. Her sale and others, Paris, Sotheby’s, June 21, 2012, lot 56: “SUIVEUR DE JEAN-ANTOINE WATTEAU / GROUPE D’ENFANTS. HEUREUX AGE! AGE D’OR…” Follower of Jean-Antoine Watteau: Group of children; oil on panel / Huile sur panneau / 20 x 24,2 cm; 8 x 9 ½ / ESTIMATE: 4,000-6,000 EUR / PROVENANCE / Vente anonyme, Christie’s, New York, 9 juin 1978, no 135,, reproduit planchet 57 / LITERATURE / Watteau 1984 – 1721, (Washington, Paris, Berlin, 1984 – 1985, reproduit p. 367 fig. 2 / CATALOGUE NOTE / L’originale de cette composition par Jean-Antoine Watteau, Heureux age! age d’or est conservé au Kimbell Art Museum.”

 

REMARKS

This copy of Watteau’s painting is of extremely high quality and appears to have been made directly from the original canvas. It adheres closely to Watteau’s color scheme.

 

 

 

Heureux age! age d’or (copy 3)
Entered December 2023

Whereabouts unknown

Oil on panel

21 x 24.8 cm

 

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

Children Playing in a Landscape

 

PROVENANCE

London, Sotheby’s, April 26, 2001, lot 537: “Circle of Antoine Watteau / CHILDREN PLAYING IN A LANDSCAPE / oil on panel / 21 by 24.8 cm.; 8 ¼ by 9 ¼ in. The composition is based on Watteau’s original in the Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth (see Washington, National Gallery of Art, Watteau, exh. cat., 17 June – 23 Sept. 1984, pp. 365-67, cat. no. 50, reproduced). £1,500-2,000 /  €2,350-3,150.” Bought in.

 

REMARKS

One might wonder if the copyist was emulating the original Watteau painting or a copy such as the one formerly in the Patiño collection (our copy 2). While extremely faithful to his model, the copyist has introduced minor changes such as adding the small stones beneath Pierrot’s feet and the houses behind his shoulder.

 

 

 

 

Heureux age! age d’or (copy 4)
Entered December 2023

Whereabouts unknown

Medium unknown

Measurements unknown

PROVENANCE

London, with William Hallsborough (dealer), c. 1951.

 

SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY

Washington, Paris, Berlin, Watteau 1684-1721 (1984), under cat. P 50.

 

REMARKS

A reference in the 1984 tricentenary catalogue claims that a copy of Watteaus’ Heureux age! was published in Connoisseur, 127 (June 1951), p. LXXX) but this appears to be an incorrect reference.  A small color photograph at the Getty Research Institute is marked with the name of the Hallsborough Gallery. It has not been possible to trace the picture any further.

 

 

 

Heureux age! age d’or (copy 5)
Entered December 2023

Whereabouts unknown

Oil on canvas

33 x 28.5 cm

 

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

Deux figures de jeunes enfants

 

PROVENANCE

Paris, sale, Delon-Hoebanx, December 18, 2019, lot 192: “Ecole FRANÇAISE du début du XIXe  siècle d’après Antoine WATTEAU / Deux figures de jeunes enfants / Toile / 33 x 28.5 cm / 1 000 / 1 500€ / Reprise partielle du tableau de Watteau Heureux age conservé au Kimbell Art Museum de Fort Worth, Texas.

Paris, sale, Delon-Hoebanx, June 30, 2020, lot 71: “ECOLE FRANÇAISE DU DÉBUT DU XIXE SIÈCLE d’après ANTOINE WATTEAU / Deux figures de jeunes enfants / Toile 33 x 28.5 cm Reprise partielle du tableau de Watteau Heureux âge conservé au Kimbell Art Museum de Fort Worth, Texas.” Bought in.

Paris, sale, Delon-Hoebanx, September 29, 2021, lot 57: “Ecole FRANÇAISE du début du XIXe siècle d’après Antoine WATTEAU / Deux figures de jeunes enfants / Toile 33 x 28.5 cm Reprise partielle du tableau de Watteau Heureux âge conservé au Kimbell Art Museum de Fort Worth, Texas.” Sold for €160.

 

REMARKS

This work records only the central area of Watteau’s Heureux age!, namely Pierrot and a portion of the child behind him. It is not apparent whether the picture was intentionally planned as just a partial record of Watteau's painting or if it is a fragment that has survived from a fuller copy of the original composition.

 

 

 

Heureux age! age d’or (copy 6)
Entered December 2023

Whereabouts unknown

 Oil on canvas (presumed)

36 x 50 cm

 

           
ALTERNATIVE TITLES

Children in a Park

 

PROVENANCE

New York, sale, Christie's, June 9 1978, lot 135: “Attributed to PHILIPPE MERCIER . . .
CHILDREN IN A PARK / 14 x 19½in. (36 x 50 cm.) See plate 57.”

 

SELECT BIBLIOGRAHY

Washington, Paris, Berlin, Watteau 1684-1721 (1984), under cat. P 50.

 

REMARKS

In addition to enlarging the size of the canvas, the copyist opened the composition slightly, adding additional space at the left and right, and between the  groups of children. The attribution to Philippe Mercier is merely an art market ploy to supply a name to an anonymous copy. Nothing suggests the presence of Mercier’s hand.

The 1984 Watteau exhibition catalogue parenthetically asks whether this painting might have been in the Patiño collection (our copy 2), but that is not the case. The two paintings’ histories and appearances differ.

 

Heureux age! age d’or (copy 7)
Entered December 2023

Whereabouts unknown

Oil on canvas

47 x 38 cm

 

PROVENANCE

Marssac sur Tarn, Au fils des temps, via internet: "Tableau XVIIIem Représentant Des Enfants, 18ème siècle, Louis XVI – Directoire."

 

REMARKS

This rustic copy after Watteau’s Heureux age! is a gross caricature of Watteau’s design, based on the Tardieu engraving.

 

 

 

Heureux age! age d’or (copy 8)
Entered December 2023

Whereabouts unknown

Medium unknown

Measurements unknown

 

           
ALTERNATIVE TITLES

Enfants jouant la comédie

 

PROVENANCE

Paris, sale, Couturier, December 10, 1828, lot 65: “Le même [WATTEAU]. Enfans jouant la comédie.”

 

REMARKS

The brevity of the catalogue listing does not permit much to be concluded. We cannot be certain that the composition is actually related to Heureux age! age d’or, and not another Watteau-related design, such as his Cause badine. Nor can we determine if it is one of the copies of Heureux age! age d’or that are extant today.