Echoes of the Past: Property from an Important Private Collection

Provenance:

Jean-Luc Baroni, Ltd., London, 2011, no. 17

Private Collection

Sold: Christie's, New York, April 27, 2017, Lot 187

Lot Essay:

Born in Geneva, Ferrière probably received his early training with Jean-Étienne Liotard before moving to Paris to study at the Académie des Beaux-Arts under Joseph-Marie Vien. By 1770, he had returned to his native city where he established himself as a painter and is documented ‘restoring’ paintings belonging to the city’s library. With the outbreak of the French Revolution and the ensuing unrest in Switzerland, Ferrière and his family emigrated to England, where the painter began specializing in miniatures. His portraits were successfully received in London, and he obtained commissions from members of the aristocracy and the Royal Family, and became a frequent exhibitor at the Royal Academy from 1793. After a period in Russia, the artist spent some time working in London before returning to Switzerland, where he once again became a prominent artistic figure and member of the Société des Arts.

This lively depiction of a young boy carrying a painting under his arm is a rare example for a painter that is best-known as a miniaturist. It demonstrates Ferrière's exceptional clarity and refinement of technique in oil, while at the same time bringing light and character to the portrayal. Comparable in tone and composition to pictures Ferrière would likely have seen in Paris, like Vien’s Portrait of Jacques-Louis David as a youth, c. 1765 (Angers, Musée des Beaux-Arts), the present portrait shows a remarkable sense of vivacious naturalism. The young boy's face is animated by the glinting reflections in his eyes, the deep shadow cast by the bucket hat, as well as as his ruddy cheeks and upturned mouth. With the frame tucked under his arm and one finger pointing, the appears poised for movement, as if just sent off on an errand.