France 1880: The Three Ladies and the Naked Statue, Naughty Satirical Grévin

Description: Auction description France 1880: The Three Ladies and the Naked Statue, Excellent Satirical Study by Grévin (1827-1890) Before we get into the nitty gritty of this delicious, humorous nineteenth century pen and ink drawing, here's a headsup: It is almost certainly from the hand of an important French artist, and it is quite representative of the work that made him famous. And thus it is highly collectible! We are witnessing a moment of Paris life. Three people are out for a walk, most likely in a public garden such as the Tuileries. Or, perhaps, the Louvre. The two grown, well-dressed women are inspecting the drawing just submitted to them by the agitated little girl, who chews her pencil in anticipation of their reaction. So what did she draw, and why the annoyed, I-dare-you look on the girl's face, and the "Oh, my" gesture of the woman on the left? The answer is easy to find, even though it's out of our sight. Just behind our people, there's a heroic, mythological male statue, of the kind you sell so often in French gardens and museums. We can be reasonably sure that the statue possesses certain, ahem, endowments common to naked men -- and that the little girl was interested in drawing that particular part of him/it. The pretty young woman on the right, far from being shocked, seems rather amused by the little girl's precocious curiosity. And so the human comedy goes on... Alfred Grévin (28 January 1827 – 5 May 1892), who created this sketch, probably for publication in a Parisian satirical weekly, was best known during his lifetime for his caricature studies of contemporary Parisian women. (He was also a sculptor, cartoonist, and designed costumes and sets for popular theater.) This sheet is one of his particularly good creations, and it brings a smile to my face as I write this listing. Dimensions of the picture are about 7.75 inches by 5.75 inches. The 19th century paper, laid down on light cardboard, has toned a little, there are glue marks in the four corners, and there is a small paper loss, upper right. Condition overall is good.There is a handwritten attribution (or, just possibly a signature) on the mat, lower right. Grévin left many drawings, and some of them command high prices. A costume study for the theater was sold at a 2019 French auction for $793. This desirable and characteristic work by a signifigant artist is moderately priced. Shipping within the U.S. will be $9. And to see what else I have for sale, please click here.

Price: 99 USD

Location: Amesbury, Massachusetts

End Time: 2025-02-03T18:22:54.000Z

Shipping Cost: 9 USD