Louis-félix De La Rue (1730-1777) Mythological Scene, Pen And Black Ink On Paper

 Louis-Félix de La Rue (1730-1777) 
A Mythological scene
Pen and black ink on paper 
Bears an old inscription with the name of the artist on the lower left border of the mount
20.7 x 26.3 cm
In good  condition, a small foxing in the middle of the sheet
In a vintage frame (numerous losses in the gilding, see photographs please) 36.8 x 41.90 cm

It is always the charm and interest of Louis Felix de la Rue's highly original art that he produced drawings inspired by ancient history and mythology, the subject matter of which is often obscure and mysterious.
Here, he combines a female figure - perhaps an allegory - with sculpted elements, the bearded man and above all the young man wearing a hat, who appear to have all the trappings of life.
It is interesting to note that this figure of a young man very clearly evokes an allegory of Africa, and his headdress is typical of representations of this continent in the 18th century. This is undoubtedly a clue to identifying the subject.
But once again, in addition to La Rue's perfectly recognisable style, it is the enigmatic character, not devoid of humour in the restlessness of the putti, that makes this drawing so charming.

Louis-Félix de La Rue was born on October 19, 1730 in Paris, where he died on June 24, 1777. He was a draughtsman and sculptor, older brother of Philibert-Benoît de la Rue.
De La Rue was trained in the studio of the celebrated sculptor Lambert-Sigisbert Adam (1700-1759), where he may have met the young Clodion who, although some years Delarue’s junior, also worked under Adam. He won the prix de Rome in 1750 with a bas relief entitled "Abraham rendant grâces à Dieu de la délivrance de son fils" and became pensionnaire of the École royal des élèves protégés between 1752 and 1754. In this role, Delarue presented a group entitled Bacchante qui enivre des enfants and four bas-reliefs of the Saisons figurées par des enfants to the king during an exhibition at Versailles in 1754. Before going to Rome in November 1754, he worked under the direction of Jean-Jacques Bachelier at the Manufacture de Vincennes, where he made several groups of frolicking infants, including two presse-papiers models, referred to as ‘plaques à papiers La Rue’. Upon returning to the Académie de France in Rome, of which Natoire was the then director, he was admitted into the Academy of Saint Luke on 13 September 1760. Subsequently, De La Rue  was named Professor, and, in 1762. After 1764, Delarue disappears from the official record and, tragically, is believed to have been plagued by physical frailty and mental illness.