JACQUES-LOUIS DAVID
67 Paris and Helen
Pen and black ink and gray wash; H: 18.3 cm (7^3 /i6 in.);
W: 22.9 cm (9 in.)
83.GA.I9 2
MARKS AND INSCRIPTIONS: At bottom right corner,
signed and dated David 1786 in black ink.
PROVENANCE: Sale, Moitte, Paris, June 7, 1818, lot 20;
sale, Dumont, Paris, February 13, 1854, lot 118; sale,
Couton, Paris, April 18, 1860, lot 182; sale, Flury-
Herard, Paris, May 13, 1861, lot 465; sale, H. Dreux,
Paris, February 4, 1870, lot 28; sale, Hotel Drouot, Paris,
March 22, 1983, lot 2.
EXHIBITIONS: David, Musee de 1'Orangerie, Paris,
1948, p. 54, no. 26 e/f (catalogue by M. Florisoone).
David 1748-1828, Arts Council of Great Britain, Lon-
don, 1948, p. 16, no. 7 e/f.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: J. L. Jules David, Lepeintre Louis David
(Paris, 1880), p. 656.THIS IS ONE OF NUMEROUS STUDIES DAVID MADE IN
connection with his painting Paris and Helen (1788; Paris,
Louvre, inv. 3698).* The painting was commissioned by
the comte dArtois, the future King Charles X. This
drawing, dated 1786, shows that David had already de-
veloped the composition at this early date even though
the final painting was not completed for two more years.
The two principal figures underwent only minor
changes in the painting, but Cupid was eliminated as was
the tall lamp at the right. Furthermore, the background
architecture was animated considerably with additional
details. The expressive character of the scene, however,
was not altered appreciably.I. A number of further drawings are listed in Arts Council
(1948) under no. 7. A further compositional drawing in pen and
ink and wash is in the collection of Dr. Peter Nathan, Zurich.154 FRENCH SCHOOL • DAVID