Jean-Etienne Liotard (Swiss, 1702-1789) Ahimelek presenting David the sword of Goliath, 1732 Oil on canvas 37 x 41-1/2 inches (94.0 x 105.4 cm) PROVENANCE: The artist (inventory no. 177); His daughter, Marie-Thérèse Liotard (1763-1793), by descent from the above, 1789; Professor C.B. Tilanus, Amsterdam, by descent from the above; His sale: Amsterdam, October 23, 1934, lot 1034; C.W.L. Zwaal, Amsterdam, acquired from the above; Private collection, Berlin; Private collection, New York, by descent from the above; Thence by descent. LITERATURE: R. Loche & M. Roethlisberger, L'opera completa di Liotard, Milan, 1978, pp. 88-89, no. 15, illustrated in black and white (as David e Abimelec); R. Loche & M. Roethlisberger, Liotard: catalogue, sources et correspondance, Doornspijk, The Netherlands, 2008, p. 250, no. 31, fig. 32, illustrated in black and white. This lot is a rare early work in oil by Jean-Etienne Liotard, who became one of the premier pastellists of the eighteenth century. This ambitious history painting is closely linked to his time in Paris and provides an important record of his emerging talent. Liotard's Paris study started in 1725 with Jean-Baptiste Massé under an allouage agreement rather than as an apprentice, but he also enjoyed the tutelage of Daniel Gardell, Jean Petitot, and François Lemoyne at various points in his early years (see Neil Jeffares, "Liotard's early years in Paris," neiljeffares.wordpress.com, published January 2, 2016). In Paris, Liotard aspired to enter the Académie Royale, but his Protestantism was a significant barrier to entry. Later in Liotard's career, a dispensation could have been obtained but, given his status in the early- to mid-1730s, it proved an insurmountable obstacle. It was during this period of determined academic effort that the present work was produced. Loche and Roethlisberger date the painting to 1735, thinking it a submission to the Académie de Saint-Luc, but Neil Jeffares provides a correction on both points—the theme of the Académie Royale prize competition in 1732 was "Le grand prêtre Achimelech remet à David l'épée de Goliath (The high priest Ahimelech gives David Goliath's sword)." Given Liotard's aspirations, the intended destination for his interpretation of the subject is clear. While Liotard did not win a prize for this painting, in fact, no artist did. That year the Académie awarded only a second prize to Charles Parrocel (Jeffares, 2016). Numa S. Trivas (1899-1942), one of the last scholars to have seen the painting according to Jeffares, found the composition theatrical, and it is this very quality that is a major point of appeal. Certainly, the stage-like setting feels appropriate for a scene born from a mere two verses in 1 Samuel (1 Samuel 21:8-9 ISV). In the temple at Nob, the high priest, Ahimelek, emerges from the shadows, and almost tentatively brings forth the sword of Goliath, gesturing back to the tabernacle at left from whence it came. A youthful David reaches out to take it, slouching and gesturing in humility; in his flight from the enraged Saul, the sword is not only the sole weapon available for his defense, but a symbol of his past victory and a reminder of God's power and favor. Behind the priest, a man sneers at David, perhaps disbelieving the tales of heroics by one so young, unimpressed with his evasion of the king's wrath, or simply upset to see the sword, now a sacred object, reverted to its original, violent purpose. The priest's gift came at a great cost: learning that aid had been given to David, Saul killed not only Ahimelek and eighty-five other priests but cruelly ordered the deaths of everyone in Nob. This historical subject by Jean-Etienne Liotard offers a rare opportunity to acquire a major work from the start of his career. Couched within its theatricality, the painting has key qualities that foreshadow the most prized features of the artist's mature work in pastel. A powerful sense of characterization prefigures his portrait work, and the attention to small details of domestic activity behind the scenes look forward to his genre subjects and interiors. We thank Perry Schrier, Advisor Cultural Assets WOII, Department Movable Heritage, Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, Amersfoort, for his invaluable research of this painting. This lot was reviewed by the Art Loss Register, who determined that the work was not looted property; a certificate from the ALR accompanies the lot. HID12401132022 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved www.HA.com/TexasAuctioneerLicenseNotice