Lot n° 31
Estimation :
1000 - 1500
EUR
Luc-Olivier MERSON (Paris, 1846-1920)
Four... - Lot 31 - Briscadieu
Luc-Olivier MERSON (Paris, 1846-1920)
Four sacraments:
Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, Extreme Unction
Four pen-and-ink and wash drawings on card.
All signed lower left or right.
Each: 26.7 x 18.6 cm.
Good condition (except for a freckle at the bottom of one leaf).
These extremely fine drawings are by one of the most fascinating "academic" artists of the 19th century. Celebrated in recent years by the museums of Rennes and then Nantes, Luc-Olivier Merson won every accolade in his day: Grand Prix de Rome in 1869, gold medal at the 1889 Universal Exhibition, member of the Institut in 1892, head of the studio at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Commander of the Légion d'honneur, etc. He was also commissioned to design some of the world's most famous paintings. He was commissioned to design some of the finest stamps (Merson type) and banknotes of the Third Republic. His art, always refined and close to symbolism, remains unclassifiable. Merson was a perfect draughtsman, author of numerous illustrations for books, as shown by our rigorously composed drawings, as precise as they are sensitive. The artist placed his sacraments in an archaeological context, with meticulously studied costumes and decorations, evoking the very first centuries of Christianity.
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