Géricault’s figure study for The Raft of the Medusa sold for €75,000 (£64,100) at Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr’s sale of works from two French châteaux in Paris on March 20.
They had come from a French château in Normandy and had been in the same family since the end of the 19th century. They were part of an auction of works from two French châteaux held by Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr on March 20 where they were keenly contested by collectors, many of whom were in Paris for the Salon du Dessin, the specialist works on paper fair.
One of them was a 4.75 x 8in (12 x 20cm) chalk, pen and ink preparatory study for the Raft of the Medusa, the artist’s most famous work, which is now in the Louvre. The multi-figure drawing is a study for the mutiny scene on the raft while the reverse depicts a single figure of a man. It was estimated at €25,000-30,000 but ended up selling for a hammer price of €75,000 (£64,100).
Géricault’s pen ink and wash drawing of a man’s head - €60,000 (£51,280) at Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr’s sale of works from two French châteaux in Paris on March 20.
The second was a 9.25 x 6.5in (23.5 x 16.25) study of a man’s head in pen, ink and brown wash on paper which sold for €60,000 (£51,280) against a guide of 10,000-15,000.
Turcs regardant le massacre des Janissaires - a chalk, pen and ink drawing by Géricault that realised €28,000 (£23,930) at the Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr sale of works from two French châteaux.
The third was an 8 x 5.25 (20 x 13.5cm) chalk, pen and ink study of an oriental scene thought to represent Turcs regardant le massacre des Janissaires. (Turks watching the massacre of the Janissaries) This realised €28,000 (£23,930) against a guide of €15,000-20,000.
The top price of the auction was another much earlier work from the Normandy château, an oil on copper panel depicting Le festin des dieux (The feast of the gods) attributed to the Flemish painter Hendrick van Balen the Elder (1575-1632) which realised €82,000 (£70,085).
