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Les Jaloux (copy 1)
Entered November2023

Melbourne, National Gallery of Victoria, inv. 496/2

Oil on walnut panel

34.1 x 44.8 cm

 

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

The Jealous Ones

Jealousy

 

PROVENANCE

Boissy-Saint-Léger, Chateau de Grosbois, collection of Alexandre-Louis-Philippe-Marie Berthier, 4th Prince of Wagram (1883–1918); sold in 1910.
           
Melbourne, collection of Alfred Felton (1831-1904; entrepreneur). Collection transferred to the Felton Bequest and in 1910 to the National Gallery.

 

SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY

Melbourne, National Gallery, Illustrated Catalogue (1911), cat. 32.

Réau, “Watteau” (1928), cat. 67.

Melbourne, National Gallery, Catalogue (1943), cat. 659.

Melbourne, National Gallery, Catalogue (1948), 164-65.

Adhémar, Watteau (1950), under cat. 64.

Hoff, Catalogue of European Paintings (1961), 138.

Macchia and Montagni, L’opera completa di Watteau (1969), under cat. 80.

Ferré, Watteau (1972), under cat. B 13.

Hoff, “Variation, Transformation, and Interpretation” (1990).

Melbourne, National Gallery, European Paintings before 1800  (1995).

 

REMARKS

In the late nineteenth and first half of the twentieth century this picture was thought to be an autograph work by Watteau, but then it fell from grace. In the museum’s 1943 catalogue of its collection, it was still given to Watteau, but in the 1948 edition it was designated as “attributed to.” The 1961 edition listed it as “after Watteau,” and all scholars since then have classified it as a copy after Watteau’s original composition.

 

Les Jaloux (copy 2)
Entered November 2023

Whereabouts unknown

Medium unknown

Measurements unknown

 

REMARKS

This copy of Les Jaloux is known via a photograph in the Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie. The photo bears no annotations regarding attribution, size, whereabouts, etc.

 

 

 

Les Jaloux (copy 3)
Entered November 2023

Whereabouts unknown

Oil on canvas

80 x 92 cm

 

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

Gilles, tra giovani donne in un boschetto

 

PROVENANCE

Rome, collection of duca Carlo Giovene di Girasole di Napoli. His sale, Rome, Palazzo Simonetti, April 3-15, 1933, lot 288: “LANCRET NICOLAS (attribuito a). . . .  GILLES, TRA GIOVANI DONNE, IN UN BOSCHETTO. Gilles, colla tipica espressione ingenua e attonita, è assiso tra due giovanni donne ai piedi di un albero: a destra un personaggio seduto conversa; un altro accorre dal fondo. È una armoniosa composizione, espressione vivace del gusto di quel tempo. L’attribuzione al Lancret è indicate nella collezione Giovene, ma questo dipinto e i due seguenti sono degni di migliore studio, perchè a nostro avviso potrebbe trattarsi di un interessante pittore inglese che operava sotto l’influenza dei francesi. Olio su tela. M. 0,80 x 0,92. Cornice dorata. (Vedi tav. N. 15).”

 

REMARKS

Although large in scale, this version of Watteau’s composition has been abbreviated at both sides.

It is a normal ploy for dealers and auctioneers to attribute copies and variations of Watteau pictures to Pater and Lancret. In this instance, the attribution to Lancret was probably prompted by the more deserved attribution of the pendant picture (lot 289) to Lancret. The couple depicted in the pendant is based on an amorous pair at the left side of Lancret’s Allegory of Old Age in the National Gallery, London.

 

 

 

Les Jaloux (copy 4)
Entered November 2023

Whereabouts unknown

Oil on canvas

64 x 86 cm

 

PROVENANCE

Paris, sale, Hôtel Drouot-Richelieu (Couturier Nicolay), December 3, 1991, lot 64: “L’ECOLE FRANÇAISE XIXe siècle (d’après Watteau). Les jaloux. Huile sur toile. 64 x 86 cm. 15.000 / 20.000. D’après la gravure de Scottin.”

 

REMARKS

As the 1991 auction catalogue rightly notes, this picture is just a copy after Scotin’s engraving.

 

 

 

Les Jaloux (copy 5)
Entered November 2023

Whereabouts unknown

Oil on canvas

83 x 49 cm

 

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

Galante Szene aus der Commedia dell’Arte

 

PROVENANCE

Berlin, sale, Jeschke Van Vliet Kunstauktionen, March 7, 2015, lot 431: “Watteau, Jean-Antoine – Kopie nach Galante Szene aus der Commedia dell’Arte nach Watteaus “Pierrot content. Wohl Frankreich, Öl auf Leinwand  83 x 49 cm. – Dekorativ gerahmt. Mit kleineren altersbedingten Fehlstellen. Wenige kleine Stellen alt übermalt. . . .“

 

REMARKS

Despite the 2015 sale catalogue’s assertion that its picture was after Watteau’s Pierrot content—a composition with an additional figure and a slight alteration to the pose of the woman at the right—the painting sold in Berlin faithfully copies Les Jaloux.

 

 

 

Les Jaloux (copy 6)
Entered November 2023

Whereabouts unknown

Medium unknown

Measurements unknown

 

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

Le Jalou

 

PROVENANCE

Paris, sale, Hôtel des commissaires-priseurs, April 22, 1854, lot 80: “DU MÊME . . . Le Jalou.”

 

REMARKS

Although the 1854 entry called the painting “Le Jalou” using the singular form, it undoubtedly intended “Les Jaloux,” which is cast in the plural.

 

 

 

Les Jaloux (copy 7)
Entered November 2023

Whereabouts unknown

Medium unknown

31 x 23 cm

 

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

Récréation champêtre

 

PROVENANCE

Paris, collection of Marquis de Valori Rustichelli. His sale, Paris, Hôtel Drouot, April 16-18, 1866, lot 104: “WATTEAU (ANTOINE). Dans un bosquet, trois personnages dont l’un est costumé en pierrot, entourent une jeune femme qui, assise sur un banc, pince de la guitare. H. 31 c. L. 23 c.” Sold for 1,380 francs.

 

           
SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY

Dacier, Vuaflart, and Hérold, Jean de Jullienne et les graveurs, 3: under cat. 127.

 

REMARKS

Despite the seeming reference to just three people, a closer reading of the description suggests there were four: three figures with a seated woman playing a guitar. All this corresponds to  Les Jaloux.  However, the Rustichelli picture had a vertical format as in Harlequin jaloux.

 

 

 

Les Jaloux (copy 8)
Entered November 2023

Whereabouts unknown 

Oil on canvas

49 x 63

 

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

Les Jalons

 

PROVENANCE

Zurich, sale, Koller West, September 18-24, 2003, lot 6424: “WATTEAU, ANTOINE . . . nach: Les Jalons. Öl auf Leinwand. 49 x 63 cm. CHF 9 000 - /12 000.- ([€] 5880 / 7 800-).” The painting was bought in. 

 

REMARKS

“Les jalons” was a misprint for Les Jaloux.

 

 

 

 

Les Jaloux (copy 9)
Entered November 2023

Whereabouts unknown

Oil on canvas

49 x 63 cm

 

PROVENANCE

Barcelona, sale, Subarna, January 24, 2019, lot 837: “ATRIBUIDO A ANTOINE WATTEAU . . . Sin titulo. Oleo sobre lienzo. Presenta pequenas faltas. 49 x 63 cms. 58,5 x 73 cms (marco).”

 

REMARKS

The low quality of this copy after Watteau’s Les Jaloux suggests that it is not earlier than the twentieth century.

 

 

 

Les Jaloux (copy 10)
Entered November 2023

Whereabouts unknown

Oil on canvas

37 x 46 cm

 

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

Pierrot heureux et ses galantes

 

PROVENANCE

Paris, sale, Hôtel Drouot (Dijard), November 17, 2018, lot 7: “JEAN-ANTOINE WATTEAU . . . D’APRÈS / Pierrot content / Huile sur toile / 37 x 46 cm / 800 /1 200 €.”

Rambouillet, sale, March 21, 2020, lot 72: “Jean-Antoine WATTEAU . . . d’après / Pierrot heureux et ses galantes / Huile sur toile / 37 x 46 cm/ Dans un cadre ancien en bois sculpté et doré à décor rocaille.”

 

REMARKS

This poor quality copy of Watteau’s composition is notable for the bright red costumes worn by the actors.  The claim in the 2018 catalogue that this is a copy after Pierrot content is in error.

 

 

 

 

Les Jaloux (copy 11)
Entered November 2023

Whereabouts unknown

Medium unknown

51 x 40.6 cm    

 

PROVENANCE

London, sale, Phillips, Son & Neale, July 30, 1973, lot P207:  “WATTEAU (AFTER) . . . Les Jaloux (fragment), 20in x 16in.”

 

REMARKS

Without a photograph, it is difficult to say anything concrete about this picture. Was it a partial copy of Watteau’s composition or was it a fragment cut-down from a fuller copy of his design?