Charles de LA FOSSE (Paris 1636 - 1716) - Lot 21

Charles de LA FOSSE (Paris 1636 - 1716) Rest during the Flight to Egypt Black pencil and red chalk. (Restored, worn and missing). 33 x 24.5 cm Provenance Sale by Me Paul Renaud, Hôtel Drouot, Paris, November 13, 1986, no. 84. Madame Gustin Gomez, on the basis of an old photograph, published the drawing in her catalog raisonné under no. DR11. After examining it in person, Madame Gustin Gomez believes the drawing to be autograph after all. We would like to thank Madame Gustin Gomez for kindly confirming the authenticity of this drawing after an in-person examination. According to Ms. Gustin-Gomez, "this drawing of Le Repos pendant la fuite en Égypte is indeed by Charles de La Fosse. The extreme elongation of the Virgin's figure, protected by an imposing drapery, may seem surprising at first glance, as there is no other example of this type in the artist's corpus. The small donkey's head, relegated to the background, is also a curiosity. Nevertheless, La Fosse's style is very much in evidence. He uses his usual buff-colored, lumpy-textured paper, which allows him to give greater density to his three pencils: sanguine, pierre noire and white chalk highlights. In this work, he enjoys mixing colors to excess, creating a dark zone in the center where the infant Jesus can be seen, protected by the Virgin and Joseph. In the background, powerful red chalk hatching evokes a luminous landscape. These characteristics, the interest in color and the lack of precision in detail, allow us to date this drawing to the end of La Fosse's career."