69081: Edgar Degas (French, 1834-1917) Étude de cheval
Edgar Degas (French, 1834-1917) Étude de cheval, circa 1860 Pencil on tracing paper 5-1x2 x 8-1x2 inches (14.0 x 21.6 cm) (sheet) Very faint impression of an oval stamp at lower left: Atelier Ed. Degas PROVENANCE: Christie's, New York, October 2, 1990, lot 2; Private collection, Pomfret, Maryland; Heritage Auctions, Dallas, Texas, December 6, 2019, lot 68041; Private collection, acquired from the above. We wish to thank Professor Theodore Reff for his gracious cataloguing assistance. In a photocopy of his letter dated October 20, 2019, which accompanies this lot, Dr. Reff states: "In my opinion, this drawing is by the hand of Degas and can be dated to about 1860. The 'Atelier' stamp (Lugt 657), still barely recognizable, shows that the provenance begins with the artist's studio. Like many other works with that origin, the drawing did not figure in the four sales of Degas's studio in 1918-19, but remained in the possession of his descendants. Executed on tracing paper, this drawing was probably made by tracing the composition of a print in order to establish its outlines and then by copying the shading and shadows of the original. The latter, in turn, was probably a lithograph by Alfred De Dreux (1810-1860), a specialist in equestrian subjects, whose work Degas seems particularly to have admired. At his death, Degas's collection contained eighteen lithographs by De Dreux, and in a notebook Degas used in 1858-1860 there are over a dozen small copies after mounted riders or details of their mounts, based on prints in two De Dreux albums. Moreover, a drawing of a mounted rider, in pencil on tracing paper about the same size as the present drawing (sale, Christie's, Paris, "Atelier Degas," May 24, 2006, lot 5), is likewise a reworked tracing of a De Dreux lithograph and is stylistically quite similar to the present one." HID03101062020 © 2022 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved
Condition Report: On stable paper support. A short horizontal soft crease with repaired vertical tear at center of upper edge. Small areas of skinning at center of left and right edges and in the lower left and right corners. Very faint toning, likely from the window mat, at extreme edges of sheet, not visible when mat is closed. A pinpoint dot of discolored accretion near upper edge in the upper right corner. Sheet is hinged along upper edge of verso to board with window mat. Framed under glass.Framed Dimensions 15.25 X 18.25 X 1.25 Inches Heritage Auctions strongly encourages in-person inspection of items by the bidder. Statements by Heritage regarding the condition of objects are for guidance only And should Not be relied upon as statements of fact, And do Not constitute a representation, warranty, Or assumption of liability by Heritage. All lots offered are sold "As Is"Buyer's Premium per Lot:25% on the first $300,000 (minimum $49), plus 20% of any amount between $300,001 and $3,000,000, plus 15% of any amount over $3,000,001 per lot.
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Edgar Degas (French, 1834-1917) Étude de cheval, circa 1860 Pencil on tracing paper 5-1x2 x 8-1x2 inches (14.0 x 21.6 cm) (sheet) Very faint impression of an oval stamp at lower left: Atelier Ed. Degas PROVENANCE: Christie's, New York, October 2, 1990, lot 2; Private collection, Pomfret, Maryland; Heritage Auctions, Dallas, Texas, December 6, 2019, lot 68041; Private collection, acquired from the above. We wish to thank Professor Theodore Reff for his gracious cataloguing assistance. In a photocopy of his letter dated October 20, 2019, which accompanies this lot, Dr. Reff states: "In my opinion, this drawing is by the hand of Degas and can be dated to about 1860. The 'Atelier' stamp (Lugt 657), still barely recognizable, shows that the provenance begins with the artist's studio. Like many other works with that origin, the drawing did not figure in the four sales of Degas's studio in 1918-19, but remained in the possession of his descendants. Executed on tracing paper, this drawing was probably made by tracing the composition of a print in order to establish its outlines and then by copying the shading and shadows of the original. The latter, in turn, was probably a lithograph by Alfred De Dreux (1810-1860), a specialist in equestrian subjects, whose work Degas seems particularly to have admired. At his death, Degas's collection contained eighteen lithographs by De Dreux, and in a notebook Degas used in 1858-1860 there are over a dozen small copies after mounted riders or details of their mounts, based on prints in two De Dreux albums. Moreover, a drawing of a mounted rider, in pencil on tracing paper about the same size as the present drawing (sale, Christie's, Paris, "Atelier Degas," May 24, 2006, lot 5), is likewise a reworked tracing of a De Dreux lithograph and is stylistically quite similar to the present one." HID03101062020 © 2022 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved
Condition Report: On stable paper support. A short horizontal soft crease with repaired vertical tear at center of upper edge. Small areas of skinning at center of left and right edges and in the lower left and right corners. Very faint toning, likely from the window mat, at extreme edges of sheet, not visible when mat is closed. A pinpoint dot of discolored accretion near upper edge in the upper right corner. Sheet is hinged along upper edge of verso to board with window mat. Framed under glass.Framed Dimensions 15.25 X 18.25 X 1.25 Inches Heritage Auctions strongly encourages in-person inspection of items by the bidder. Statements by Heritage regarding the condition of objects are for guidance only And should Not be relied upon as statements of fact, And do Not constitute a representation, warranty, Or assumption of liability by Heritage. All lots offered are sold "As Is"Buyer's Premium per Lot:25% on the first $300,000 (minimum $49), plus 20% of any amount between $300,001 and $3,000,000, plus 15% of any amount over $3,000,001 per lot.
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