Accession number
PML 140007, no. 186
Creator
Picart, Bernard, 1673-1733, engraver.
Published
[Paris] : [Chez Duchange], [1740]
Credit line
Bequest of Gordon N. Ray, 1987.
Notes
Title from item.
One of a series of unnumbered prints issued under the title: Les peintures de Charles Le Brun et d'Eustache Le Sueur, qui sont dans l'Hotel du Chastelet cy devant la Maison du Président Lambert (Paris : Chez Duchange, 1740).
Issued as part of a series under the title "Les peintures de Charles Le Brun et d'Eustache Le Sueur, qui sont dans l'Hôtel du Chastelet cy devant la maison du President Lambert" (Paris : Chez Duchange, 1740). All plates in the first group of the series, [1-21], are signed as painted by Le Sueuer, and most are drawn by B. Picart; all are signed by their engravers, B. Picart, Beauvais, L. Desplaces, C. Dupuis, Duchange or Duflos. A second group of plates [22-36], issued with a separate title plate, "La Galerie de monsieur le Président Lambert représentant l'apothéose d'Hercule," reproduces the decorations executed by Le Brun in 1650/58 for the ceiling of the Gallery of Hercules on the second floor of the Hôtel Lambert, Paris. Only some are signed with the name of the painter (Le Brun) and the draughtsman (Picart); in most cases the name of the engraver is given: Mathys Poel, Picart, L. Surugue, L. Desplaces. Some of the plates in the second group bear the earlier dates of 1713, 1714, 1718 and 1719. The Hôtel Lambert was built for Jean-Baptiste Lambert by Louis Le Vau in 1641-1642, and was decorated by E. Le Sueur; after Jean-Baptiste's death in 1644 further decoration was carried out for his brother, Nicolas Lambert, by Le Sueur and Le Brun. Le Sueur's decorations were painted for a bedroom, a bathroom, a cabinet d'Amour and a cabinet des Muses (all showing scenes from Greek mythology); Le Brun's for the aforementioned gallery of Hercules. In addition to the two distinct series of prints described above, some recorded copies of "Les peintures de Charles Le Brun et d'Eustache Le Sueur, qui sont dans l'Hôtel du Chastelet cy devant la maison du President Lambert" include a third group of 6 prints showing plans and elevations of the Hôtel Lambert and signed "Mariette excud."
The album of collected engravings by Bernard Picart (PML 140007) at the Morgan Library & Museum contains only 17 of the 36 prints comprising the first and second sets of prints in the overall series, in addition to containing impressions of both the letterpress title page for the work as whole, "Les peintures de Charles Le Brun et d'Eustache Le Sueur, qui sont dans l'Hôtel du Chastelet cy devant la maison du President Lambert," and the separate engraved title page for the second suite of prints, "La Galerie de monsieur le Président Lambert représentant l'apothéose d'Hercule."
One of a series of unnumbered prints issued under the title: Les peintures de Charles Le Brun et d'Eustache Le Sueur, qui sont dans l'Hotel du Chastelet cy devant la Maison du Président Lambert (Paris : Chez Duchange, 1740).
Issued as part of a series under the title "Les peintures de Charles Le Brun et d'Eustache Le Sueur, qui sont dans l'Hôtel du Chastelet cy devant la maison du President Lambert" (Paris : Chez Duchange, 1740). All plates in the first group of the series, [1-21], are signed as painted by Le Sueuer, and most are drawn by B. Picart; all are signed by their engravers, B. Picart, Beauvais, L. Desplaces, C. Dupuis, Duchange or Duflos. A second group of plates [22-36], issued with a separate title plate, "La Galerie de monsieur le Président Lambert représentant l'apothéose d'Hercule," reproduces the decorations executed by Le Brun in 1650/58 for the ceiling of the Gallery of Hercules on the second floor of the Hôtel Lambert, Paris. Only some are signed with the name of the painter (Le Brun) and the draughtsman (Picart); in most cases the name of the engraver is given: Mathys Poel, Picart, L. Surugue, L. Desplaces. Some of the plates in the second group bear the earlier dates of 1713, 1714, 1718 and 1719. The Hôtel Lambert was built for Jean-Baptiste Lambert by Louis Le Vau in 1641-1642, and was decorated by E. Le Sueur; after Jean-Baptiste's death in 1644 further decoration was carried out for his brother, Nicolas Lambert, by Le Sueur and Le Brun. Le Sueur's decorations were painted for a bedroom, a bathroom, a cabinet d'Amour and a cabinet des Muses (all showing scenes from Greek mythology); Le Brun's for the aforementioned gallery of Hercules. In addition to the two distinct series of prints described above, some recorded copies of "Les peintures de Charles Le Brun et d'Eustache Le Sueur, qui sont dans l'Hôtel du Chastelet cy devant la maison du President Lambert" include a third group of 6 prints showing plans and elevations of the Hôtel Lambert and signed "Mariette excud."
The album of collected engravings by Bernard Picart (PML 140007) at the Morgan Library & Museum contains only 17 of the 36 prints comprising the first and second sets of prints in the overall series, in addition to containing impressions of both the letterpress title page for the work as whole, "Les peintures de Charles Le Brun et d'Eustache Le Sueur, qui sont dans l'Hôtel du Chastelet cy devant la maison du President Lambert," and the separate engraved title page for the second suite of prints, "La Galerie de monsieur le Président Lambert représentant l'apothéose d'Hercule."
Description
1 print : etching and engraving ; image: 380 x 399 mm; plate mark: 391 x 431 mm; sheet: 421 x 462 mm
Summary
The Galerie d'Hercule in the Hôtel Lambert, Paris: perspective view of the interior of a lavishly decorated room, with walls covered with ornamental panels and paintings executed by Charles le Brun; on the right a couple regard the paintings, as a man, his back to the viewer, walks out onto a balcony at the back of the gallery. Cf. British Museum online catalog.
Classification
Catalog link
Department