Watteau's drawing, made around 1718, is one of eight intimate studies of a female model captured in a variety of informal poses. Not intended as preparatory for any painting, these drawings were made in private rented rooms where Watteau and his friends took pleasure in "posing the model, painting and drawing." As a fully formed, mature artist, Watteau continued to draw from the live model, even if his nude studies--so immediate and seemingly natural to modern eyes--were found wanting by academic standards. -- Exhibition Label, from "Drawn to Greatness: Master Drawings from the Thaw Collection"
Watermark: Grapes within a double circle, marked with letters "P" "V" "O".
Heseltine, J. P. (John Postle), 1843-1929, former owner.
Fauchier-Magnan, Adrien, former owner.
Kramarsky, Siegfried, former owner.
Kramarsky, Siegfried, Mrs., former owner.
Thaw, Eugene Victor, former owner.
Thaw, Clare, former owner.
The Morgan Library & Museum, New York, NY, "Drawn to Greatness: Master Drawings from the Thaw Collection", 2017. Exh. cat., no. 399, repr.
Stampfle, Felice, and Cara D. Denison. Drawings from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Eugene V. Thaw. New York : Pierpont Morgan Library, 1975, no. 35, repr. (also in Thaw III, no. 24)
Denison, Cara D. et al. The Thaw Collection : Master Drawings and New Acquisitions. New York : Pierpont Morgan Library, 1994, no. 24, repr. recto and verso, also mentioned on p. 258.
Denison, Cara D. et al. From Mantegna to Picasso : Drawings from the Thaw Collection at the Pierpont Morgan Library, New York. London : Royal Academy of Arts ; New York : Pierpont Morgan Library, 1996, no. 24, repr. in color.
Rosenberg, Pierre and Louis-Antoine Prat. Antoine Watteau 1684-1721, Catalogue raisonné des dessins, 3 vols., Milan, 1996, II, no. 584, p. 992, recto repr. in color, verso repr.
100 Master drawings from the Morgan Library & Museum. München : Hirmer, 2008, no. 76, repr. [Jennifer Tonkovich]