18th Century Framed Drawing By Charles Eschard

Charles ESCHARD (1748-1810) "Bécosse at the edge of a stream" Circa 1770-1780 - Black stone on ivory paper with cut watermark. Drawing in very good condition. Dimensions with Louis 16 period frame in gilded wood: H.25.5cm x L.24cm Charles Eschard, originally from Caen, made his debut at the School of Fine Arts in Rouen and then spent a few years in Holland where he studied Flemish painters. He was admitted to the Royal Academy of Painting in 1783. This charming drawing was certainly made during his trip to Holland - the becosse or open latrine, was common in the countryside in the 18th century, and their disuse inspired artists... The "Nordic" influence is visible in this drawing, not only in the chosen subject, but also in the rendering of its execution. The drawings of François Boucher, strong in this Nordic influence, show these same naturalistic and intimate characteristics (see the catalog of the Dijon exhibition in 2004 - "François Boucher and the painters of the North" by Françoise Joulie) The few drawings by Eschard in French public collections are mostly kept in the Graphic Arts Department of the Louvre Museum, and coincidentally in the Magnin Museum in Dijon.