Edgar DEGAS (1834-1917) - Lot 127

Lot 127
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Estimation :
6000 - 8000 EUR
Result : NC
Edgar DEGAS (1834-1917) - Lot 127
Edgar DEGAS (1834-1917) Study of the heads of three figures, probably after Perugino (ca. 1450-1523) Circa 1856-1858 Pen and brown ink on tracing paper composed of two glued sheets Two stamps "Atelier Ed. Degas" (L.657) at the top left and right A few traces of adhesives in the upper left and center, a few small folds on the upper and lower edges, a few very small tears on the lower edge 30 x 45 cm (on view) Framed under glass Provenance: Artist's studio Then by descent to the present owners Appraisal : M. Marc-Henri TELLIER In 1855, Degas visited Ingres, whose style he revered, to present his drawings. During this meeting, Ingres gave him some advice: "Make lines, lots of lines, and you will become a good artist". Wishing to approach directly the art of the classical masters such as Botticelli and Raphael, Degas undertook from 1856 to 1860 many trips to Italy, first to his family in Naples, then to Rome and Florence, passing through Perugia. He used to say that: "You must copy and recopy after the masters, and only after having given all the proofs of a good copyist will you be allowed to make a radish after nature". Our drawing, unpublished to our knowledge, dates from this period and is on tracing paper, of which Ingres was also an avid user. The subject represented is a detail of a religious scene executed by an Italian Renaissance master around 1500, probably by the Umbrian artist Le Perugino (ca. 1450-1523). The attribution to this painter was suggested to us by Professor Eric Darragon, whom we thank. We can recognize in this ordered composition the figures of Perugino with their contemplative faces and their restrained gestures. The artist represents a group of three closely intertwined characters: a man in the center, surrounded by two young women with the appearance of a Madonna. The faces are three-quarter turned to the left. One of the women has braided hair, a hairstyle of the female gender during the Italian Renaissance, and her left hand is visible. The man is wearing a hat. Among the fifty-five Degas leaves presented for sale on March 23, 2017 at Christie's in Paris was a study after Perugino's painting The Virgin and Child Surrounded by Two Angels, Saint Rose and Saint Catherine, as Lot No. 4. The Jacquemart-André Museum devoted an exhibition to Perugino which took place from September 12, 2014 to January 19, 2015. Expertise : M. Marc-Henri TELLIER
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