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JEAN BAPTISTE MALLET ( 1759 - 1835 ) A superb large signed oil on canvas by the important french painter Jean Baptiste Mallet depicting bathers bathing from a boat on a river. The subject matter is quite superb and highly unusual. The figures are swimming naked and the whole scene is very decadent. The painting is signed lower left and is in very nice condition apart from a few small marks . Title: “Les Baigneuses” Signature: Signed lower left Medium: Oil on canvas Provenance: Private french collection Size: c. 18 x 22 inches unframed / 20 x 24 inches framed Condition: Very good condition for age - just a few small marks Jean Baptiste Mallet was a student of Mérimée and Prud'hon. He featured in the Paris Salon from 1791 to 1824, winning second prize in 1812 and first prize in 1817. Mallet painted in the so-called 'gracious genre' (genre gracieux) and was one of the foremost exponents of 'Empire genre' painting. Although there is a great deal of affectation and false sensibility in his works, he nevertheless produced some pictures and drawings that demonstrate a genuine talent. Since 1930, these charming works, somewhat removed from the master's hand, have found new favour with art-lovers. It is in the procedures of watercolour and gouache that he displayed an astounding virtuosity and it is precisely this virtuosity of stroke and touch that rightly make him a great minor master. The mode is capricious and the subjects that once seemed affected delight us today by this very quality. Museum and Gallery Holdings Cherbourg: Genevieve of Brabant Baptising Her Son in Prison; The Fates Clamecy: Landscape with Shepherds and Sheep Grenoble: Interior of Raphael's Studio La Fère: Interior Scene Marseilles: Nature and Honour Paris (Mus. Marmottan-Monet): Reading a Letter; Meeting in a Drawing-Room; Travellers Received by Some Peasants Pau: Education of Henri IV Toulon: Sketch Tours: Nymph, Satyr and Cupid Valenciennes: Passing Fancies; same subject Auction Records Paris, 1865: Visiting the Nursemaid, FRF 780 Paris, 1892: Lesson, FRF 515 Paris, 1898: Interior Scene, FRF 1,320 Paris, 1898: Interior Scene (gouache) FRF 2,850 Paris, 1899: The Toilette (gouache) FRF 2,600 Paris, 22 Feb 1901: Treasured Parrot, FRF 1,050 Paris, 18-25 March 1901: Interior Scene with Meeting, FRF 660 Paris, 23 and 24 April 1901: Visiting the Farmer's Wife, FRF 800 Paris, 4 June 1903: Maternal Care, FRF 1,000 Paris, 14 and 15 March 1905: The Toilette, FRF 4,300 Paris, 2 and 3 Feb 1911: Unpleasant Surprise, FRF 900 Paris, 19 Dec 1919: Nuptial Blessing (gouache) FRF 15,500 Paris, 17 and 18 Nov 1920: Mother of the Family (gouache) FRF 9,900 Paris, 6-8 Dec 1920: Visit, FRF 10,500 Paris, 22 and 23 May 1924: Favourite Parrot, FRF 5,200 Paris, 25 Nov 1924: Kiss; Two Friends (watercolour and gouache) FRF 73,000 Paris, 3 and 4 June 1926: Meeting at the Salon (watercolour and gouache) FRF 108,000; Fiancée; Family Joys (two watercolours with gouache) FRF 48,000 Paris, 9 Dec 1927: Interior Scene with Meeting (gouache) FRF 69,500 Paris, 7 and 8 June 1928: Parrot's Singing Lesson (gouache) FRF 52,100 Paris, 13-15 May 1929: Treasured Parrot (gouache) FRF 133,000; Breakfast (gouache) FRF 156,000 Paris, 28 May 1931: Evening Prayer (gouache) FRF 4,250 Paris, 17 June 1931: Refugees, FRF 50,000 Paris, 3 Dec 1934: Paternal Love; Maternal Love (gouache) FRF 9,700 Paris, 17 Dec 1935: Italian Baptism (gouache) FRF 9,200 Paris, 26 May 1937: Morning Tea (drawing) FRF 30,500 Paris, 9 June 1937: Kiss; Two Friends (two gouaches) FRF 35,000; Visiting the Newly Weds, FRF 30,100; The Toilette (gouache) FRF 24,500 Paris, 24 March 1939: Antique Dealer, FRF 16,200 Paris, 23 and 24 Oct 1941: Jockey (gouache) FRF 29,000 Paris, 17 Dec 1942: Meeting at the Salon (gouache) FRF 110,000 Paris, 4 June 1947: Final Counsel (gouache) FRF 46,000; Serenade (lead pencil, heightened with white) FRF 3,500 Paris, 19 June 1947: Favourite Having Lunch, FRF 110,000 Paris, 1 June 1949: Happy Family, FRF 215,000; Catechism (1791, watercolour and gouache) FRF 260,000; Nymphs Bathing (watercolour and gouache) FRF 235,000; The Morning Toilette (watercolour and gouache) FRF 225,000; Accommodating Maidservant (watercolour with gouache, attributed) FRF 100,000 Paris, 23 May 1950: Indiscreet Man (gouache) FRF 180,000 Paris, 14 Dec 1951: Mirror; Letter (two gouaches) FRF 1,200,000 New York, 17 Oct 1959: Reading (gouache) USD 850 New York, 11 Dec 1961: The Toilette (gouache) FRF 9,300 London, 26 June 1963: Eve of Wedding Day; Day after the Wedding (two pendants) GBP 2,200 Stuttgart, 3 and 4 March 1966: Boudoir Scenes (two gouaches, making a pair) DEM 11,000 Paris, 24 June 1968: Reading, FRF 7,500 Paris, 14 March 1970: Shepherds Resting (gouache) FRF 14,000 Paris, 31 Oct 1973: Visiting the Nursemaid (gouache) FRF 30,000 London, 27 June 1974: Musical Evening (gouache) GBP 2,500 Paris, 19 March 1976: Incitement to Love (1789, gouache, 16¼ × 13 ins/41 × 33 cm) FRF 10,500 London, 8 Dec 1976: Baptism under the Revolution (drawing and watercolour, 13 × 17¼ ins/33 × 44.1 cm) GBP 1,200 Paris, 24 June 1977: Letter (1819, oil on canvas, 12¾ × 10 ins/32.5 × 24.5 cm) FRF 7,000 Paris, 14 June 1978: Resting in the Park (watercolour and pen, 10 × 14¾ ins/25.5 × 37.5 cm) FRF 9,000 Paris, 28 March 1979: Bacchante and Lovers in a Wooded Landscape (oil on canvas, 16 × 12¾ ins/40.5 × 32.5 cm) FRF 14,000 Geneva, 28 June 1979: Love Letter (gouache, 12¼ × 9½ ins/31 × 24 cm) CHF 14,000 Paris, 9 Dec 1981: Mme Royale Tended by Brunier, the Surgeon (1793, gouache, pen and wash, 14¼ × 21 ins/36 × 52.5 cm) FRF 140,000 Paris, 9 Dec 1981: Talma and Mlle George in 'Britannicus' (oil on canvas, 9½ × 12½ ins/24 × 32 cm) FRF 61,000 Monte Carlo, 26 June 1983: Abduction of Psyche (oil on canvas, 12½ × 9 ins/32 × 23 cm) FRF 30,000 New York, 18 Jan 1984: Interior Scene with Elegant Figures Making Music (1823, gouache, 8¼ × 10½ ins/21.2 × 26.5 cm) USD 2,100 London, 10 April 1985: Love Letter (watercolour gouache and pen, 12½ × 9½ ins/31.5 × 24.1 cm) GBP 8,000 Paris, 16 Dec 1986: Milliner (gouache, 13¾ × 10¼ ins/35 × 26 cm) FRF 65,000 Paris, 6 May 1987: Reading a Letter (gouache, 13¼ × 10½ ins/33.5 × 26.5 cm) FRF 100,000 Paris, 11 March 1988: Visiting the Nursemaid (oil on panel, 14½ × 18¼ ins/37 × 46.4 cm) FRF 60,000 Paris, 28 June 1988: Harpist (oil on canvas, 13½ × 10 ins/34 × 25.5 cm) FRF 19,000 New York, 9 Jan 1991: Interior Scene with Elegant Couple Taking Tea (gouache, 9 × 11 ins/22.6 × 28.2 cm) USD 44,000 Paris, 27 March 1991: Church Interior (gouache, 15½ × 25½ ins/39.5 × 65 cm) FRF 450,000 Munich, 26-27 Nov 1991: In a Boudoir (gouache, 85 × 6 ins/215 × 15 cm) DEM 1,035 Monaco, 5-6 Dec 1991: Interior Scene with Elegant Figures (watercolour heightened with gouache, 14½ × 21 ins/36.7 × 53.5 cm) FRF 108,780 New York, 28 May 1992: Nymph Bathing Surrounded by Lovers (oil on canvas, 15 × 18 ins/38.1 × 45.7 cm) USD 28,600 Paris, 22 June 1992: Laundresses (gouache, 12¼ × 15¼ ins/31 × 39 cm) FRF 120,000 London, 5 July 1993: Young Woman Sitting on a Park Bench and Making a Bouquet (watercolour and gouache, 9 × 6½ ins/23 × 16.8 cm) GBP 14,375 Paris, 10 Dec 1993: Gallant Meeting in a Park (gouache, 11½ × 8¾ ins/29 × 22.3 cm) FRF 80, 000 New York, 11 Jan 1994: Two Women Looking after Two Young Children Embracing in front of a Kitchen Hearth (watercolour and gouache, 7¾ × 6 ins/19.5 × 15 cm) USD 8,625 New York, 14 Jan 1994: Woman at Her Toilette; Young Woman Feeding a Parrot (gouache/paper, a pair, each 7¾ × 10¼ ins/20 × 26 cm) USD 60,250 Paris, 31 March 1994: Church Interior (1791, pen, wash, gouache, 15 × 22 ins/38 × 55.8 cm) FRF 32,000 New York, 12 Jan 1995: Six Nymphs Bathing in a Garden Pond (watercolour and gouache/paper, 9 × 12½ ins/22.9 × 31.8 cm) USD 8,050 Paris, 31 March 1995: Harp Lesson (gouache, 11¾ × 9 ins/30 × 23 cm) FRF 39,000 Vienna, 29-30 Oct 1996: Young Couple Caressing on a Bed in a Farm (gouache, 9¾ × 7 ins/25 × 18 cm) ATS 483,000 Paris, 21 May 1997: Reading (1824, oil on panel, 8¾ × 7 ins/22.5 × 17.5 cm) FRF 29,000 Paris, 15 Dec 1997: Happy Family (oil on panel) FRF 30,000 Paris, 27 March 1998: Procuress (oil on panel, 10¼ × 13½ ins/26 × 34 cm) FRF 48,000 Paris, 3 April 1998: Nursery (gouache, 9 × 12 ins/23 × 30.5 cm) FRF 185,000 New York, 27 Jan 1999: The Procuress (oil on panel, 10 × 13 ins/26 × 34 cm) USD 13,000 New York, 28 Jan 1999: La chemise enlevee (bodycolour, 13 × 10 ins/33 × 26 cm) USD 14,000 New York, 28 Jan 2000: Two Young Ladies in Garden with Man Hiding behind Statue of Apollo (1789, bodycolour, 17 × 15 ins/42 × 37 cm) USD 22,000 London, 18 April 2000: Lady Drawing a Vase of Flowers, a Wooded Landscape Beyond (oil on panel, 9 × 10 ins/22 × 26 cm) GBP 5,000 New York, 23 Jan 2001: Helen and Paris (watercolour/gouache, 13 × 16 ins/33 × 40 cm) USD 23,000 Paris, 22 June 2001: The Visit of the Nanny (oil on panel, 9 × 13 ins/23 × 32 cm) FRF 260,000 New York, 24 Jan 2002: Young Woman Taking Care of her Child (oil on canvas, 16 × 13 ins/40 × 32 cm) USD 9,000 Paris, 4 July 2002: Sacrifice to the Homeland (gouache, 15 × 22 ins/39 × 56 cm) EUR 36,000 Paris, 13 June 2003: Le bouillon de l'accouchee (gouache, 12 × 15 ins/31 × 39 cm) EUR 9,800 New York, 22 Jan 2004: Young Man Piercing the Ear of a Young Girl Seated on the Knees of a Woman (bodycolour, 9 × 13 ins/24 × 33 cm) USD 32,000 New York, 23 Jan 2004: La veille du mariage, Nude Woman Standing by a Bedridden Man. Le lendemain du mariage (oil on canvas, a pair, 10 × 8 ins/25 × 20 cm) USD 22,000
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