Banner

 


X. Jullienne en buste

Entered January 2017

blank

Whereabouts unknown

Medium unknown

Measurements unknown

 

PROVENANCE

Paris, collection of M. Sourdeau (former Consul). His sale, Paris, December 5, 1872, lot 34: “WATTEAU (ANTOINE) . . . Portrait présumé de M. de Julienne. Il est vu en buste. Une abondante chevelure légèrement frisee encadre son visage et retombe sur ses épaules. — De son habit marron clair, brodé d’or, s’échappe un jabot de dentelle. Enfin une draperie de soie cramoisie, drapée autour de son corps, achève l’ensemble de cet intéressant portrait.”

 

SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY

Sale, Paris, Palais Galliera, Mme. A. collection, November 20, 1972, under lot A.

Washington, Paris, Berlin, Watteau 1684-1721 (1984), under cat. 67.

 

REMARKS

In 1972, when the Louvre’s so-called Portrait of Jullienne came up at auction, the idea was momentarily put forth that it could be identified with the painting in the Sourdeau sale, but this association was withdrawn before the sale. In 1984, Rosenberg linked the Sourdeau painting with a replica of the work in the Louvre (our copy 1). However, Sourdeau’s version was a different composition, for although it putatively showed Jullienne, it showed him only bust-length not three-quarter length, with gold not silver embroidery on his jacket, and wrapped in crimson silk drapery, features not found in the Louvre picture or its copy.

Were we ever to see Sourdeau’s actual picture, we would probably discover that it was not painted by Watteau and does not represent Jean de Jullienne.