JEAN-HONORÉ FRAGONARD (Grasse, 1732 – Paris, 1806) Attributed - Portrait of a Man (c. 1790–1795)

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GRAND MARCH AUCTION OF OLD MASTERS AND COLONI...

By Templum Fine Art Auctions

Mar 25, 2026

Set Reminder 2026-03-25 10:00:00 2026-03-25 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : GRAND MARCH AUCTION OF OLD MASTERS AND COLONIAL ART https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/templum-fine-art-auctions/grand-march-auction-of-old-masters-and-colonial-art-22766
AUCTION · 25 MARCH · 3:00 PM EXHIBITION OPEN FROM 13 MARCH Templum Fine Art Auctions info@templumauctions.com

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• Lot Description
  Oil on paper mounted on canvas. Dimensions: 40.5 x 32.3 cm. The work depicts the bust of a man turned slightly to the left, with his mouth slightly open and his eyes closed. His gray hair falls in irregular, asymmetrical strands over his head, leaving his forehead exposed, which receives light from the upper left corner. The face, framed by a reddish beard, is presented with great expressive power and has been interpreted both as the image of an inwardly enlightened apostle or philosopher and, more specifically, as a possible portrait of the actor Pierre-Louis Dubus, known as Préville (1721–1799), in his later years. A celebrated figure in French theater, Préville joined the Comédie-Française in 1753, where he enjoyed a brilliant career and performed numerous roles until his retirement in 1785. The painting is executed with a lively and rapid brushstroke, reminiscent of Rubens and Jordaens, and with a palette composed of warm grays, reddish browns, and earthy tones. These characteristics are linked to the technical freedom and immediate sense of expression characteristic of Jean-Honoré Fragonard, one of the most prominent figures in 18th-century French painting. Trained in the studio of François Boucher and deeply influenced by his trip to Italy with Hubert Robert, Fragonard developed a pictorial language of extraordinary fluidity, in which the lightness of touch and the liveliness of execution play an essential role. Although initially renowned as a history painter and celebrated for his gallant scenes, the artist also produced portraits and head studies in which his technical spontaneity achieves a particularly expressive intensity, as in the present work. Provenance: Casimir Perrin, Marquis de Cypierre (1784–1844), acquired according to the inventory of his collection in 1844 for 250 francs with the notation “Fragonard - Préville, role in Scapin's swindling”; Christie's, Monte Carlo, June 19, 1988, lot 64, as Fragonard. Note: Another portrait of Préville in ...
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