Lot 162
Lot 162
NICOLAS-GUY BRENET (PARIS 1728-1792)

Virginius prêt à poignarder sa fille Virginie

Price Realised EUR 12,600
Estimate
EUR 10,000 - EUR 15,000
Closed: 17 Nov 2023
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NICOLAS-GUY BRENET (PARIS 1728-1792)

Virginius prêt à poignarder sa fille Virginie

Price Realised EUR 12,600
Closed: 17 Nov 2023
Price Realised EUR 12,600
Closed: 17 Nov 2023
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Details
NICOLAS-GUY BRENET (PARIS 1728-1792)
Virginius prêt à poignarder sa fille Virginie
signé et daté 'Brenet / . 1783 .' (en bas, à droite, sur le rocher)
huile sur toile
81 x 64,8 cm. (3178 x 2512 in.)
Provenance
Nicolas-Guy Brenet (1728-1792) ; sa vente, en son logement, Cour du Louvre, escalier de la Colonnade, Paris, 16 avril 1792 et jours suivants, (Mes Folliot & Delalande), lot 2 (comme 'Virginius prêt à poignarder sa fille et lui disant : Voilà le seul moyen de sauver ton honneur & ta vertu ; peint sur toile, de 2 pieds 6 pouces de haut sur 2 pieds de large [81 x 65 cm.]').
Collection particulière, Allemagne, depuis environ 1970.
Literature
M. Sandoz, 'Nicolas-Guy Brenet, peintre d'histoire (1728-1792)', Bulletin de la Société de l'histoire de l'art français, 1961, p. 46, sous la note 6 (comme 'esquisse terminée').
M. Sandoz, Nicolas-Guy Brenet 1728-1792, Paris, 1979, pp. 116-117, n°101 B) a) (comme 'travail préparatoire').
M. Fournier, Nicolas-Guy Brenet 1728-1792, Paris, 2023, p. 240, n°*208 P (comme 'peut-être un ricordo du tableau de même sujet exposé au Salon de 1783 - perdu').
FURTHER DETAILS
NICOLAS-GUY BRENET, VIRGINIUS ABOUT TO STAB HIS DAUGHTER VIRGINIA, SIGNED AND DATED, OIL ON CANVAS

We would like to thank Marie Fournier for confirming that this is the ricordo, previously considered lost, for the painting of Virginius about to stab his daughter Virginia presented at the Salon of 1783 and now kept at the Musée d'Arts de Nantes (inv. no. 604 [D.872.1.7.P] - deposit of the Musée du Louvre, Paris, inv. no. 2855); (see M. Fournier, 2023, op. cit. supra).

The story, as told by Livy (59 or 24 BC-17) (III, 44), is that of the Roman centurion, Lucius Virginius, and his daughter Virginia. The decemvir, Appius Claudius, found Virginia deeply attractive and as a magistrate had her made over as a slave to his friend so that he might have his way with her. Virginius on hearing of this, left his camp, stabbed his daughter to death to spare her from Appius and protect her innocence. He then returned to his camp with the blooded dagger, led his legionaries back to Appius to imprison him. Appius lived out his days in prison, and decemviral rule was abolished.
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Bérénice VerdierAssociate Specialist
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