Grenoble gets a fine Dandré-Bardon

1. Michel-François Dandré-Bardon (1700-1783)
The Anchorites of the Thebaid, c. 1737
Oil on canvas - 58.8 x 49.6 cm
Grenoble, Musée
Photo: Galerie Talabardon & Gautier

See the image in its page

6/12/23 - Acquisition - Grenoble, Musée - Proudly signed in the lower right by the artist, this unpublished painting by Michel-François Dandré-Bardon (ill. 1) transports us from the Salon of 1737 to the very earliest days of Christianity thanks to its composition that is as singular as it is seductive. Reappearing on the art market at the end of 2019, it was unveiled on the stand of the Talabardon et Gautier gallery at Tefaf 2020 but was unable to find a buyer at the time, the fair having been forced to close its doors prematurely due to the spread of the pandemic. It could then be admired by dealers and also virtually (see article), and it was hoped that a museum would finally be able to acquire this astonishing masterpiece of 17th-century France. However, as the two Paris gallery owners well know, patience is sometimes required, and it was only recently that the Musée de Grenoble was able to purchase it thanks to its Patrons’ Club and with the support of FRAM Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Although the painting had been lost, it had not been forgotten, no doubt because of its extremely rare iconography. It shows four monks arranged on either side of a diagonal that firmly separates the two parts of the composition, between light and shadow. The three monks on the left are only seen from the back, and at first glance we can only make out two pairs of feet emerging from a heap of tunics. As the gallery and museum notices point out, only the presence on the right of the painting of the fourth monk clutching a skull and cross clarifies this astonishing canvas, which Dandré-Bardon prepared as always with great care.

2. Michel-François Dandré-Bardon (1700-1783)
The Anchorites of the Thebaid, c. 1737
Red chalk, pen and bistre wash - 24.3 x 21 cm