Attributed to Jean BONVOISIN (1752-1837) - Lot 43

Attributed to Jean BONVOISIN (1752-1837) Diana and Apollo Piercing Niobe's Children with Arrows Canvas. 55.5 x 46 cm This sketch was created for the Prix de Rome competition of 1772. The subject given that year was taken from Ovid's Metamorphoses: Niobe, queen of Thebes, boasted of having seven children before Latona, who had only two, Diana and Apollo. To avenge their mother, these two, hiding behind a cloud, descended from Olympus and killed all Niobe's children. Six painters were admitted to the lodge to paint their sketches "en grand" (approx. 110 x 140 cm, in length or width, as the artist wished). Pierre-Charles Jombert (1748-1825) won first prize with the canvas now in the École des Beaux-Arts, Paris, while his sketch is in the Metropolitan Museum, New York (canvas, 35.8 x 28 cm). A second Grand Prix was awarded to Anicet-Charles Le Monnier (1743-1824), whose painting is in the Musée de Rouen (Rouen, Musée des Beaux-Arts). David, who was also competing, was so distressed that his painting was not selected that he threatened to commit suicide (canvas, 121 x 154 cm, Dallas Museum). The other competitors were Jean-Pierre Bidault, Xavier-Joseph's brother, a certain unknown Langue and Jean Bonvoisin. We attribute this sketch to Doyen's pupil, although another sketch on the same subject was given to him in 1989. The final painting, sold in 1991, shows only a few variations from the sketch, as Apollo's chariot was not included in the final version.