Gilles DEMARTEAU

(1722 Liege – 1776 Paris)

Woman playing the Guitar – 1764

after Antoine Watteau.

Chalk manner in sanguine on laid watermarked paper. Lower left in plate: Watteau in. del.; lower centre in plate: Du Cabinet de Monsieur de la Haije. / à Paris chés Demarteau Graveur, rue de la Pelterie a la Cloche.; lower right in plate: Demarteau Lne. Sculp / No. 184. Framed.

Size of sheet: 32 x 25.6cm.

Leymarie, 1896, No.184; IFF 6:184; Dacier et Vuaflart 1929, 1 p.194 ; Musée de Beaux-Arts de Valenciennes, Quand la Gravure fait illusion, exhib. Cat.2006, 23.

Provenance: Old label on the back: Maurice Rousseau expert 42, rue La Fayette Paris IX ̊".

Fine impression of this rare 18th century Rococo French print with wide margins; overall in very good condition.

Gilles Demarteau: Woman Playing the Guitar (rococo French engraving)

Demarteau engraved only 4 prints in the chalk manner after Watteau, including ours. Most likely, the artist had access to Watteau’s drawing (now in the Louvre Museum, inv.RF 774), however, since the print was engraved in the same direction as the drawing, Demarteau may have used for his reference the etching by Benoît II Audran made after the same drawing which was included in Figures de différent caractères published in 1717-28.

Gilles Demarteau: Woman Playing the Guitar (rococo French engraving)

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