A young girl wearing a bonnet, bust-length, reading a letter

Details

JACQUES-ANDRÉ PORTAIL (BREST 1695-1759 VERSAILLES)
A young girl wearing a bonnet, bust-length, reading a letter
red and black chalk, chalk framing lines, watermark posthorn with strap in a shield (fragment)
16.4 x 19.1 cm (6 1⁄2 x 7 1⁄2 in.)

Provenance

Antonio Cesare [de] Poggi (1744-1836), Paris and London (L. 617) (with his ink inscription on the reverse ‘M. O’ Brayan/ A.C. De P1771’).
Baron Paul Hatvany (1899-1977), London; thence by descent to the present owners.

Special notice

This lot has been imported from outside of the UK for sale and placed under the Temporary Admission regime. Import VAT is payable at 5% on the hammer price. VAT at 20% will be added to the buyer’s premium but will not be shown separately on our invoice.

Sale room notice

Please note that the estimate is £4,000-6,000, and not as stated in the e-catalogue.

Conditions of sale

Brought to you by

Stefano Franceschi Specialist

sfranceschi@christies.com +44 (0) 20 7752 3103

Lot Essay

For other studies ther portraits of young women reading or writing, a favourite subject for Portail, see inv. III, 98a; C. Denison, French Master Drawings in the Pierpont Morgan Library, New York, 1993, no. 44, ill.; and S. Salmon, Jacques-André Portail 1695-1759. Cahier du dessin français, Paris, 1996, no. 16 and 22, ill.

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