Charles-Joseph NATOIRE (Nîmes 1700 - 1777 Castel Gandolfo)
The Holy Women
Circa 1750/54
Oil on canvas, 71 x 107 cm
PROVENANCE
- Bourgogne private collection, until June 2023
Son of an architect from Nîmes, Natoire moved to Paris at an early age, where he was a pupil of Louis Galloche (Paris 1670 – id. 1761) and François Lemoyne (Paris 1688 – id. 1737). In 1721, he obtained the first prize for painting at the Academy, which allowed him to stay in Rome from 1724 to 1727. Back in Paris, he was received as an Academician in 1734 and produced important decorations for churches, the castle of Versailles (Queen's Chamber) and private homes, as well as tapestry cartoons for the Gobelins and Beauvais. In 1751, he was appointed director of the Académie de France in Rome. He then devoted himself to pedagogy and discovered the landscape. He was also reponsible for decorating the decor of the Apotheosis of Saint Louis in Saint-Louis-des-Français. Replaced in 1775 by Joseph Vien (Montpellier 1716 – Paris 1809), he preferred to remain in Rome. Also a member of the Royal Academy of Toulouse, he was in contact with Jean-Baptiste Despax (Toulouse 1710 – id. 1773).
Totally original, our painting immediately reveals the distinctive characteristics of the style of the famous painter-academician Charles-Joseph Natoire (1700-1777). We also guess that the subject in question belongs to the New Testament, the young woman on the left having every chance of being Saint Mary Magdalene. The long hair and the vase of ointment that she highlights make it possible to recognize her as such. The fact is that the gaze of the characters is directed away from the composition, which suggests that it was originally more extensive. The cutting of the half-length figures would also go in the same direction. The expression of the two young women would be likely to deliver us the key as to the nature of the illustrated subject. Surprise, even fear, can be read on their faces. Everything seems to prove that we are in the presence of the scene of The Holy Women at the Tomb.
From the sources, we know that Natoire received an order, before 1750, for an
Apparition of the Angel to the Holy Women for the Noailles chapel at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The painting disappeared during the Revolution but we know of a preparatory drawing of the angel seated near the tomb which is kept in the Louvre (inv. 31431) (fig.1).
FIG.1. © Paris, musée du Louvre
Charles-Joseph NATOIRE
Study of an angel seated near the tomb of Christ
Black chalk, grey wash heigthened with white on grey pale paper, 50,3 x 36,7 cm
Louvre, inv. 31431
There is also, in the Louvre, an overall drawing which is perhaps a copy, or even probably a counter-proof of the composition Natoire had thought of (inv. 31464) (fig.2).
FIG.2. © Paris, musée du Louvre
d'après Charles-Joseph NATOIRE
The Angel and the three Holy Women at Christ's Tomb
Black chalk and heigthened with white on tracing paper, 34,3 x 26,7 cm
Louvre, inv. 31464
The artist had originally placed Saint Mary Magdalene kneeling at the feet of the angel before raising her facing him. The drawing thus copied was most certainly the one found under number 309 of the Natoire sale of December 14, 1778 (Lugt 2928), described as such: "The three Marys at the tomb". We should also point out the existence of a modello of this great composition. We have traces of it in the Le Brun sales catalog of September 22, 1774 (Lugt 2325) under number 111: “the three Marys at the tomb; an angel surrounded by a Glory, is seated on the stone which covers it (…) on canvas, 13 inches high by 10 inches wide” (sold 48 lt to Hammon). It was certainly the same modello that reappeared in the Paillet sale of January 30, 1782 (Lugt 3354) under n° 71: “The Holy Women going to visit the tomb of Jesus Christ. This painting is of a drawing rendered [sic] & pleasing. Height 1 foot, width 8 inches. Canvas” (sold 80 lt in Calonne).
It turned out that when he arrived in the Eternal City as the new director of the French Academy in Rome (1751), Natoire had considerably reduced his activity as a painter. Knowing also that our painting was intended for the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris and probably painted in Roma, it acquires undoubtedly a dimension especially more precious.
