PIERRE-ADRIEN PARIS
1745-181 9
65 Vases, Furniture, and Objects
Discovered at Herculaneum
Pen and black ink and watercolor; H: 22.9 cm (9 in.); W:
3 7 cm (i4^9 /ioin.)
88.GA.2Ó
MARKS AND INSCRIPTIONS: (Recto) at top, inscribed
Meubles Antiques trouves dans la Ville d'herculanum. in
brown ink by the artist; at bottom left, signed Paris Delin.
in brown ink.
PROVENANCE: Paigon Dijonval collection(?), Paris;
Charles G. Vicomte Morel de Vindé(?), Paris; P. P. Ste-
ven(?), Douvre; sale, Christies, London, December 12,
1986, lot 322; art market, Boston.
EXHIBITIONS: None.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: M. Bénard, Cabinet de M. Paigon Dijon-
val (Paris, 1810), p. 171, part of no. 4O04(?);
M. L. Cornillot, Inventaire general des dessins des musées de
province: Collection Pierre-Adrien Paris, Besançon (Paris,
I95?)J vol. i, Introduction, p. 2.
THIS DRAWING WAS MADE AS A PREPARATORY STUDY
for an aquatint by Pierre-Philippe Choffard for the abbé
de Saint-Non s Voyage pittoresque; ou Description des roy-
aumes de Naples et de Sicile (vol. 2 [Paris, 1783], pi. 3). Al-
though the publication date is 1783, it was pointed out by
R. Rand^1 that the print dates from 1777, so the Museum's
drawing was certainly conceived during the first of
Paris s Roman visits. Rand also noted that all of the ob-
jects represented in the drawing and resulting aquatint as
then being in the Museo di Portici are now in the Museo
Archeologico Nazionale, Naples, except the chair with
sphinxes at the right in the drawing. The chair is men-
tioned in the text of Voyage pittoresque (p. 45) as being
based on a Pompeiian wall fresco.i. Letter to G. Goldner, September 1989.100 FRENCH SCHOOL • PARIS