Goddess In The Bath - Jacques Sébastien Leclerc (1734 - 1785)

Gouache on paper, signed and dated J. S. Le Clerc 1760
Under a supernatural light, the décor drawn up by Jacques-Sébastien Leclerc is covered in gold and takes on a dreamlike dimension. It is the stage in which appears a naked young woman preparing to bathe in the stream that meanders through its center. All the refinement for which Jacques-Sébastien Leclerc is renowned is displayed in this delicate composition. Born into a dynasty of artists and the heir to a tradition of miniature, ornamental decoration and history painting, Leclerc excels here in a subject dear to his heart: the idealized female figure.
Our young bather, captured in a moment of suspended grace sensuality typical of the galant vein of the years 1750-1760. Satin-smooth skin, flowing drapery and a gesture of feigned modesty of gesture create a scene where intimacy merges with mythology. Indeed, it's to see a Greek divinity in the bath, a Venus devoid of all attributes. The sculpted group depicting love riding a dolphinn reinforces the evocation of Antiquity.
A key work in Leclerc's corpus, and a true testament to the taste of amateur cabinets under Louis XV, our gouache combines many qualities: harmony of colors, finesse of line, subtlety of modeling, vibrant foliage and decorative refinement.

Our goddess in the bath is presented under anti-reflective UV glass and set in a Louis XVI period carved and gilded wood frame.
Dimensions : 33.5 x 26.5 cm - 45 x 38 cm with frame

Biography:
Jacques-Sébastien Leclerc, Le Clerc or Leclerc des Gobelins (1734 - 1785) belongs to a dynasty of artists of the XVIIIᵉ century, founded by his grandfather, engraver Sébastien Leclerc, and continued by his father, Sébastien II. Trained in drawing from an early age, he developed a particular sensitivity to the graphic arts, miniature and gouache, mediums in which he excelled. He was admitted to thein 1758 as a history painter, he followed in the elegant, refined vein of Louis XV's reign, combining mythological subjects, pastoral gallantries and allegorical scenes destined for amateur cabinets. He worked for private clients, created ornamental and taught drawing, helping to spread a delicate, luminous and graceful style.

Bibliography:
- Rosenberg Pierre, France in the Eighteenth Century, Royal Academy of Arts, 1968
- Kopp Edouard, Drawing in 18th-Century France, Harvard Art Museums, 2016
- Cuzin Jean-Pierre, French Painting in the XVIIIᵉ siècle, Citadelles & Mazenod, 1991
- Prat Louis-Antoine, Le Dessin français au XVIIIe siècle, Somogy-LeLouvre, 2017
- Fabre Gérard, Gouache in France in the XVIIIᵉ siècle, Paris, 2008