Workshop of Pierre-Paul PRUD'HON (1758-1823) Justice... - Lot 41 - Pousse-Cornet

Lot 41
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Workshop of Pierre-Paul PRUD'HON (1758-1823) Justice... - Lot 41 - Pousse-Cornet
Workshop of Pierre-Paul PRUD'HON (1758-1823) Justice and Divine Vengeance pursuing Crime. Original oil on canvas. 38 x 46 cm Small lacks and old restorations. To be compared with the painting of the Cour de Cassation at the Palais de Justice in Paris. The Prefect of the Seine Frochot was the commissioner in 1804 of the painting La justice poursuivant le crime de Prudhon. Today part of the Louvre's collections, this emblematic painting, somewhere between Classicism and Romanticism, was presented at the 1808 Salon. Prud'hon has lived since 1796 with Constance Mayer, who was gifted with great talent, but was reduced to the role of lover, inspirer or muse, whereas she was a talented painter and was fully associated with the work of her companion. Since 1791 in the gallery of Jean-Baptiste le Brun, then in 1796 and the following years, she exhibited paintings herself which were acquired by Josephine or King Louis XVIII. Mademoiselle Mayer sometimes gave the final touches to Prud'hon's large paintings when the latter fell behind with the exhibition dates. It is known that she drew a great deal until her suicide in 1820, but all her drawings and sketches, which remained in their common studio, were later given to Prudhon by the painter's sons. These systematic attributions have been validated by most historiographers, with the exception of J. Guiffrey, who believes that Constance Mayer participated, among other things, in the composition of La Justice poursuivant le Crime. A letter from Prud'hon quoted by S. Laveissière in her catalogue (p.226) totally confirms this interpretation. Mayer indeed suggested to Prud'hon to change the movement of the character appearing the victim, perhaps by proposing the present sketch with the modification which was retained for the final work. Only two drawings and a preparatory sketch (Los Angeles) are known from the genesis of Justice Prosecuting Crime, and the present sketch on its orig
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