Ambroise Dubois

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Ambroise Dubois
approximately 1543-1614
The Toilet of Psyche. Verso: Bust-length sketch of a woman
ca. 1600
Red chalk, pen and red ink, red wash, with white chalk, on paper.
13 7/8 x 10 1/16 inches (353 x 256 mm)
Purchased by Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913) in 1909.
I, 50

 

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Notes: 

This heavily worked study is related to a lost painting depicting the Toilet of Psyche, known through a copy now in the chateau of Fontainebleau. Born Ambrosius Bosschaert, Dubois is a little-known Flemish member of the second school of Fontainebleau. When the sheet was acquired by Fairfax Murray for his collection, the mannered figures and use of red chalk, along with an inscription on the verso, led to an attribution to the school of Parmigianino. It was first recognized as by Dubois, the successor to Toussaint Dubreuil as painter to Henry IV, by Sylvie Béguin in 1959.
Formerly attributed to the School of Parmigianino.

Inscription: 

Inscribed on verso, at lower center, in graphite, "1450"; below at right, in another hand, "Francesco Mazzuoli, Parmigiano / 1503-1540".
Watermark: none.

Provenance: 
Nicholas Lanier (1588-1666; see Lugt 2885), London; Charles Fairfax Murray (1849-1919), London and Florence; from whom purchased through Galerie Alexandre Imbert, Rome, in 1909 by Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913), New York (no mark; see Lugt 1509); his son, J. P. Morgan, Jr. (1867-1943), New York.
Associated names: 

Parmigianino, 1503-1540, School of, Formerly attributed to.
Lanier, Nicholas, 1588-1666, former owner.
Murray, Charles Fairfax, 1849-1919, former owner.
Morgan, J. Pierpont (John Pierpont), 1837-1913, former owner.

Bibliography: 

Collection J. Pierpont Morgan : Drawings by the Old Masters Formed by C. Fairfax Murray. London : Privately printed, 1905-1912, I, 50, repr. (as School of Parmigianino)
Denison, Cara D. French Drawings, 1550-1825. New York : Pierpont Morgan Library, 1984, no. 6.
Stampfle, Felice, with the assistance of Ruth S. Kraemer and Jane Shoaf Turner. Netherlandish Drawings of the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries and Flemish Drawings of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries in the Pierpont Morgan Library. New York : Pierpont Morgan Library, 1991, no. 41, repr.
Denison, Cara D. French Master Drawings in the Pierpont Morgan Library. New York : Pierpont Morgan Library, 1993, no. 9, repr. in color.

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