Eric Turquin, Paris

Acquis auprès de ce dernier par l'actuel propriétaire dans les années 1990

Collection Louis Grandchamp des Raux

L’authenticité de cette œuvre a été reconnue par le professeur Lorenz Eitner dans un courrier en date du 4 avril 2006. Une copie pourra être remise à l'acquéreur.

Théodore Géricault, the incarnation of the romantic painter along with Eugène Delacroix, is not only the author of one of the most celebrated works of his time, Le Radeau de la Méduse, he is also one of the greatest animal painters of the period.

His artistic output is characterised by his well-known passion for horses – a fine example of which is featured in this sale (lot 42) – but his interest in dogs also appears on several occasions, such as in the sketchbook at the Art Institute of Chicago, which contains several pencil drawings of “dog portraits”. Following in the wake of the great 18th century animal painters such as Jean-Baptiste Oudry, Géricault painted dogs, who are alert and animated by the liveliness of their gaze. The rapid, vigorous brushstroke gives the picture its remarkable expressive power. The subject, unusual for the artist, makes our painting a work that is as rare and unique as it is charming.