Study for La Flèche Whose Pockets are Being Searched by Harpagon

François Boucher, 1713 - 1734

Boucher illustrated a special edition of the complete works of the French playwright Molière. This drawing shows a scene from L’Avare (The miser) in which the old miser Harpagon searches the pockets of his valet, La Flèche, for money. Boucher rendered Harpagon sketchily to try out how he would ultimately place the two figures in the final composition.

  • Artwork typedrawing, design
  • Object numberRP-T-1953-202
  • Dimensionsheight 309 mm x width 185 mm
  • Physical characteristicsrood krijt

Identification

  • Title(s)

    • Study for La Flèche Whose Pockets are Being Searched by Harpagon
    • Study for La Flèche searched by Harpagon
  • Series title(s)

    Design for the illustration of "L'Avare'' from the 1734 edition of Molière's works (vol. V, p. 3)

  • Object type

  • Object number

    RP-T-1953-202

  • Series number

    ?/33

  • Inscriptions / marks

    • collector's mark, verso, lower centre: Lugt 1257e
    • collector's mark, verso, lower centre: Lugt 2228
    • signature, recto, lower right, pencil: ‘f. boucher’

Creation

  • Creation

    draftsman (artist): François Boucher

  • Dating

    1713 - 1734

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Material and technique

  • Physical description

    rood krijt

  • Dimensions

    height 309 mm x width 185 mm


This work is about

  • Subject


Acquisition and rights

  • Copyright

  • Provenance

    Inv.; collection Louis I, Grand Duke of Hesse (1753-1830), Darmstadt, 1812;{Coll. cat. Cordellier 2007, p. 526, no. V.25.} acquired by the state of Hesse and transferred to the Groβherzogliche Museum, Darmstadt, 1830;{Coll. Cat. Cordellier 2007, p. 20.} sold by the Hessisches Landesmuseum, Darmstadt, after 1933;{Coll. cat. Cordellier 2007, p. 526, no. V.25; formerly known as Groβherzogliches Museum.}…; purchased from the estate of Dr Fritz Mannheimer (1890-1939), Amsterdam and Paris, en bloc, by the Dienststelle Mühlmann, The Hague, for Adolf Hitler's Führermuseum, Linz, 1940;{Korthals Altes 1974, pp. 21-22.} war recuperation, SNK, 1945;{HNA, SNK Archive, 2.08.42, inv. no. 548.} on loan, with 1,702 other objects, from the DRVK to the museum, 1952;{Note RMA.} transferred to the museum, 1960

  • Remarks

    Please note that this provenance was formulated with a special focus on provenance research for the years 1933-45 and could therefore be incomplete. There may be more (mostly earlier) provenance information known in the museum. In case this item has an uncertain or incomplete provenance for the years 1933-45, the Rijksmuseum welcomes information and assistance in the investigation and clarification of the provenance of all works during that era.


Documentation


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