1867
Mine de plomb, fusain et crayon noir sur papier
30 x 30 cm - 11 3/4 x 11 3/4 in.
Paris, Musée d'Orsay, France - Inv. RF 5257 recto
Dernière mise à jour : 2022-03-17 19:23:23
Référence : MSb-106
Famille de l'artiste, Montpellier - André Joubin - Don Joubin au musée du Louvre en 1921 - Musée d'Orsay [Conservé au département des Arts graphiques du musée du Louvre].
Berne, Kunsthalle, 1947, Dessins français du musée du Louvre, n° 120, p.73 - Etats-Unis, 1955, Le dessin français du Louvre, n° 163 - Montpellier, musée Fabre, 1959, n° 44, p. 23 - Lausanne, musée cantonal, 1963, Dessin français, n° 3 - Aarau, Aarauer Kunsthaus, 1963, Handzeichnungen und Aquarelle aus den Museen Frankreich, n° 98 - Copenhague, musée royal des Beaux-Arts, Cabinet des estampes, 1967, De Courbet à Soulages, n° 47, p. 54 - Darmstadt, Hessisches Landesmuseum, 1972, Von Ingres bis Renoir, n° 2 - Chicago, The Art Institute of Chicago, 1978, n° 27, repr. p. 69 - Paris, musée d'Orsay, 1986, Portraits d'artistes, n° 5 - Montpellier, New York, 1992-1993, n° 17, repr. p. 104 - Séoul, musée national d'Art contemporain, 2000-2001, [s.n.], p. 132 - Montpellier, Paris, Washington, 2016-2017, fig. 74, repr. p. 127, cat. 41, repr. p. 240 [Les références sont du catalogue en français].
Waldemar, Le dessin français de David à Cézanne, Chronique du Jour, 1929, p. LXII (repr.) - Poulain, 1932, p. 222 - Scheyer, Art Quarterly, printemps 1942 - Sarraute, 1948, p. 150 - Daulte, Bazille et son temps, 1952, n° 20, repr. p. 196 [Thèse sous la direction de Gaston Poulain] - Courthion, 1964, Autour de l'impressionnisme - Blunden, 1970, p. 78 (repr.) - Marandel, Cat. exp. The Art Institue of Chicago, 1978, n° 27, repr. p. 69 - Daulte, 1992, Fréderic Bazille : Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre peint, p. 130 (repr.) - Montpellier, musée Fabre, 1992, Traces et lieux de création, n° 10 (repr.) - Jourdan , Cat. exp. Montpellier, New York, 1992-1993, n° 17, repr. p. 104 - Schulman, Frédéric Bazille : Catalogue raisonné, 1995, n° 18 des dessins, repr. p. 254 - Hilaire, Jones, Perrin, Cat. exp. Montpellier, Paris, Washington, 2016-2017, fig. 74, repr. p. 127, cat. 41, repr. p. 240 [Les références sont du catalogue en français] - Schulman, Frédéric Bazille : Catalogue raisonné numérique, 2022, n° 106.
There are several preparatory studies for The Family Gathering. This one is the most complete and closest to the masterpiece in the Orsay Museum.
Bazille has now built his painting but, between the drawing and the picture, there remain several differences. They concern the position of the characters, the presence here of the dog and the basket of flowers on the ground removed in the painting. Note the presence of Bazille on the far left of the drawing.
An essential factor here is to be taken into account: Bazille has camped out the scene and given it the setting he will keep, that of The Terrace at Méric with the tree at the edge of the property and the garden furniture. The dog on the left, of which he makes the same drawing Study of Dog looks at his masters. This is probably Tom, the family dog as drawn here.
Two more remarks are in order about this drawing: one about its technique, the other about the choice of format.
Technically, Bazille reinforces the presence of his characters with strong pencil strokes, emphasizing their movements and attitudes. Modeling is most often rendered by hatching that fills in the empty spaces, giving the drawing its depth and sensitivity. Contrarily to what happens in the other drawing, the plans are combined and organized rationally. The foliage is vividly treated, spiritedly even.
As for the square format, this is the one Bazille chose for the drawings for his most important works such as La Toilette, The Pink Dress, and the Summer Scene. Here, however, the spatial organization required him then to change the format of his painting, which he did not do for either La Toilette or the Summer Scene.
Few works are square. Distinguishing himself from other painters, especially of his time, he made several of this format such as this unexpected drawing but he will follow his idea in La Toilette and the Summer Scene.
