Turkish Sanguine Drawing By Charles Parrocel, Preparatory Study For The Embassy, 1721

Charles PARROCEL (1688-1752) "Study of a Turkish Figure Seen Full-Length from the Front" - Circa 1721. Red chalk on ivory paper, on the reverse a study of a neck and instrument, with the inscription "Boucher" (Butcher), 0.180 x 0.97 m. Dimensions with Louis XV frame: H. 39 cm x W. 30 cm. Provenance: - Robert Ludwig Mond Collection, his stamp on the reverse, Lugt 2813a - Private Collection, France. Preparatory drawing for a background figure for the artist's painting "The Arrival of Ambassador Mehemet Effendi at the Tuileries," March 21, 1721, for the presentation during this embassy of the young King Louis XV accompanied by the Regent, canvas held at the Palace of Versailles. The canvas was completed by Parrocel in 1723 after the event, and exhibited to great acclaim at the Salon of 1727. It was subsequently acquired Acquired by the King's Buildings Administration in 1739, it thus joined the collections of King Louis XV. This drawing is a rare record of this grand and exotic event, which took place in Paris at the Tuileries Palace, not Versailles. It is a snapshot, captured in the moment, of a high-ranking figure accompanying this Turkish embassy. For more information, see the attached photograph of the painting and detailed description, as well as another drawing related to this composition, a figure from the entourage seen from behind, which was sold at auction in New York City in 1997.