Provenance

David David-Weill

French, 1871 - 1952

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An orange and the bodies of a large fowl and two rabbits on a brown ledge nearly span the width of this square still life painting. The face of the ledge takes up the bottom quarter of the composition. Near the left edge of the canvas, the orange has a stem with dark green leaves. Next to it, near the center of the composition, the bird lies face up with its sapphire-blue head and neck draped down backward over the face of the ledge. The rest of its body is rust red, gray, and brown, and its tail feathers are angled up toward the top right corner of the canvas. The two rabbits have silver-grey fur tinged with muted golden yellow. They lie, one atop the other, to our right of the fowl. Their eyes are closed, and a drop of dark red blood drips from the mouth of the rabbit underneath. The ledge is caramel brown, and the wall behind is mottled with ginger brown and putty grey. The artist signed the lower left, “chardin.”
Jean Siméon Chardin, Still Life with Game, probably 1750s, oil on canvas, Samuel H. Kress Collection, 1952.5.36

Still Life with Game

Jean Siméon Chardin · probably 1750s · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1952.5.36

Two chubby children sitting and standing on a stone plinth surrounded by artmaking supplies are carved from white marble in this free-standing sculpture. Both children have soft, rounded bodies, full cheeks, and wavy hair. The child to our left stands with one foot in front of the other and one forearm resting along the edge of an upright, rectangular, stretched canvas. That child’s long hair is pulled up under a ribbon, and drapery falls over one shoulder and across the hips. The other arm reaches across the chest and clutches a fistful of paintbrushes with that hand. The thumb is hooked through a painter’s palette, which rests back along the forearm. That child smiles down at the other, who sits with one ankle tucked behind the other knee while looking off to the left with lips parted. That second child is nude and has short hair. Though carved from the same material, the head and neck of a cleanshaven man with a wide chin and cheeks is meant to be understood as a sculpture within the sculpture. The seated child drapes one arm over the head of that portrait bust, which comes up to the child’s shoulder. The child holds a mallet and chisel in both hands over the portrait bust’s head. Drapery falls behind this child, and three more chisels are on the ground under the thigh of his bent leg. The two children, canvas, and portrait bust are on a rectangular marble slap, which itself rests on a gray stone plinth. The background is light gray.
Jean-Pierre-Antoine Tassaert, Painting and Sculpture, 1774/1778, marble, Samuel H. Kress Collection, 1952.5.110

Painting and Sculpture

Jean-Pierre-Antoine Tassaert · 1774/1778 · marble ·  Accession ID  1952.5.110

The sculpture features two cherubic children interacting with musical instruments and art materials. The child on the left is standing, holding a stringed instrument resembling a lute. The child on the right is seated, holding a small chisel in one hand and a pad of cloth in their lap. Both children have short, curly hair and are naked, although the seated child has a cloth draped across their lap and legs. Below them is a rectangular base with some wreaths and scattered objects around the children. The sculpture is white with grey veining.
Clodion, Poetry and Music, c. 1774/1778, marble, Samuel H. Kress Collection, 1952.5.98

Poetry and Music

Clodion · c. 1774/1778 · marble ·  Accession ID  1952.5.98

Carved from cream-white marble, a woman stands next to a hip-high, three-legged table in this free-standing sculpture. Her weight rests on her left leg, her right knee bent. She wears a flower crown over a garment that covers her head and falls in sweeping, voluminous folds to her sandaled feet. An urn is tucked into her left elbow and she holds a saucer-like dish in her right hand down by her side to pour oil onto the flames on the altar below. She looks down toward the altar, which is decorated with a ram’s head and garlands.
Clodion, A Vestal, 1770, marble, Samuel H. Kress Collection, 1952.5.99

A Vestal

Clodion · 1770 · marble ·  Accession ID  1952.5.99

Clodion, Model for "Poetry and Music", 1774, terracotta, Loula D. Lasker Fund, 1976.10.1

Model for "Poetry and Music"

Clodion · 1774 · terracotta ·  Accession ID  1976.10.1

This is a drawing of a decorative architectural element and a sketch of a figure. The drawing features a highly ornate design on the left side with two mythical bird-like creatures facing each other with wings raised, possibly supporting a central medallion or roundel flanked by scrollwork. To the right, there is a simple outline of a human figure in motion, appearing to balance or carry something across their shoulders. The composition is composed of light pencil lines, indicating it may be a preliminary study or conceptual design. The drawing may serve as a preparatory piece, capturing an idea with quick and loose strokes.
Hubert Robert, A Decorative Sculpture with a Woman Seen from Behind, 1754/1765, graphite on laid paper, Julius S. Held Collection, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund, 1984.3.25

A Decorative Sculpture with a Woman Seen from Behind

Hubert Robert · 1754/1765 · graphite on laid paper ·  Accession ID  1984.3.25

Edouard Manet, The Balloon, 1862, lithograph in black on laid paper, Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, 1995.47.77

The Balloon

Edouard Manet · 1862 · lithograph in black on laid paper ·  Accession ID  1995.47.77

The image shows a sketch of a person in a standing position with one hand on their hip and the other arm extended. They have a headdress or veil on their head. They are wearing a long flowing garment, possibly a robe. They are next to a pedestal with horizontal lines on its surface. The background is plain.
Hubert Robert, Statue of a Vestal Virgin, probably c. 1754/1765, graphite on laid paper, Julius S. Held Collection, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund, 1984.3.46

Statue of a Vestal Virgin

Hubert Robert · probably c. 1754/1765 · graphite on laid paper ·  Accession ID  1984.3.46

The drawing depicts a bearded male figure sitting with a raised arm. The figure has a muscular torso, curly hair, and is draped in flowing garments. The figure's facial features include a full beard, and the raised arm appears to be holding an object. The drawing is done in pencil with defined lines on a plain background with an outlined border.
Hubert Robert, Statue of Jupiter, Seated [recto], 1754/1765, black chalk on laid paper, Julius S. Held Collection, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund, 1984.3.31.a

Statue of Jupiter, Seated [recto]

Hubert Robert · 1754/1765 · black chalk on laid paper ·  Accession ID  1984.3.31.a

The sketch displays a full-length figure of a person standing in a gentle, fluid pose. The individual is shown in a classical draped stance, with one arm extended forward and the other near the chest. The facial features are softly sketched, with a slightly tilted head. The person's hair is styled in a swept-back manner. They are dressed in traditional draped garments with no visible jewelry or objects held. In the background, a lightly sketched architectural element or column is visible. The image is drawn in soft pencil on a plain background, highlighting the lines and folds of the clothing.
Hubert Robert, Woman in Toga [verso], probably c. 1754/1765, graphite on laid paper, Julius S. Held Collection, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund, 1984.3.31.b

Woman in Toga [verso]

Hubert Robert · probably c. 1754/1765 · graphite on laid paper ·  Accession ID  1984.3.31.b

Bibliography

1925

  • Henriot, Gabriel. "La Collection David Weill." L'Amour de l'art 6 (1925):1-23.

1926

  • Henriot, Gabriel. Collection David-Weill. 3 vols. Paris, 1926-1928.

1937

  • "David-Weill Pictures Come to New York." Art Digest 12 (1 November 1937): 13.

  • "Sale of the David-Weill Collection." Art News 35 (27 February 1937):12.

1953

  • Donations de D. David-Weill au Musées français, Exh. Cat. Orangerie des Tuileries, Paris, 1953