Study of a man, called Charles de Saint-Evremond; head and shoulders only, facing to the left, wearing a black cap and white neck cloth, his hair loose. Made by Joseph Wright of Derby (1734 - 1797). Black and white chalk on buff paper, in cream window mount.

Exhibitions:

Title: Joseph Wright of Derby, 1734-1797: Bicentenary Exhibition
Venue: Derby Museum and Art Gallery
Dates: from 21/06/1997 to 28/09/1997

Publications

Title: Joseph Wright of Derby 1734 - 1797
Sub-Title: An introduction to the work of Joseph Wright of Derby with a catalogue of drawings held by Derby Museum and Art Gallery. Published on the occasion of an exhibition commemorating the Bicentenary of the artist's death.
Published Place: Derby
Published Year: 1997

Related People

Joseph Wright of Derby (Artist)
Display Date: British, 1734 - 1797
Nationality: British
Biography: Artist.
Charles de Saint-Evremond (Content)
Display Date: French, 1613 - 1703
Nationality: French
Sir Godfrey Kneller (After)
Display Date: German, 1646 - 1723
Nationality: German

Study of Charles de Saint-Évremond

Date: c. 1751

Medium: Black and white chalk on buff paper

Object Type:	drawing
Dimensions:	Support: 343 × 257 mm (13 1/2 × 10 1/8 in.)
Description:	Leger galleries noted the similarity of this study to Godfrey Kneller's portrait of Charles de Saint-Evremond, and suggested that it was more likely to have been the engraving after Kneller's portrait, rather than the painting itself (which they recorded as being in the Spencer Collection at Althorp) that Wright was working from (DM archives, 1996). However, another version by Kneller, seemingly later, has discovered by Philip Mould. In the catalogue entry for this painting, he points out that the Althorp portrait was in the possession of the Earl of Sunderland in 1746, and suggests that the second, later version must therefore have been that sold from the collection of Thomas Hudson at Christies in London in 1785. If so, it was almost certainly this painting that Wright was studying. This is supported by the appearance of the sitter's neck cloth, which is fuller and appears to 'billow' upwards as in Kneller's painting; an effect produced by the sitter having pushed the ends of the neck cloth through one of the buttonholes of his coat. The engravings after Kneller's painting show the sitter with a neck cloth that hangs straight in front of him (LB: 2022). Paper appears to be the same as that used for Wright's study of a lamb (DBYMU 1999-76/22). It is the same buff tone and is a little rough in areas, carrying 'inclusions' such fibres. It is possible that the paper for these drawings was originally part of one sheet, cut down to create multiple sheets. [LB and ME: 2024]
Provenance:	Purchased from David Posnett, Leger Galleries Ltd., 1996.
Viewing Status:	Contact Us
Item Ref:	1996-1/29