Ancient Scene with a Funeral Ceremony for an Actor

Former Attribution Louis Félix de La Rue French

ca. 1777

Not on view

Acquired in 1971 as the work of Louis Jean Desprez, the drawing was re-attributed to Louis Félix de La Rue in 1977. In 2017, the attribution reverted to Desprez based on Marie-Anne Dupuy-Vachey's identification of the drawing as one commissioned from the artist by the abbé de Saint-Non for his publication, Voyage Pittoresque. The sheet is described in a manuscript by Vivant Denon as representing the funerary cermony following the death of a celebrated actor (Dupuy-Vachey, M.-A., Vivant Denon et le 'Voyage pittoresque': un manuscrit inconnu, Paris: Fondation Custodia, 2009, p.116).

Artwork Details

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

References

Title: Ancient Scene with a Funeral Ceremony for an Actor
Artist: Louis Jean Desprez (French, Auxerre 1743–1804 Stockholm)
Former Attribution: Louis Félix de La Rue (French, Paris 1731–1765 Paris)
Date: ca. 1777
Medium: Pen and black ink and watercolor
Dimensions: 12 3/4 x 8 9/16 in. (32.4 x 21.7 cm.)
Classification: Drawings
Credit Line: Purchase, Harris Brisbane Dick Fund and Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1971
Object Number: 1971.513.21
Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.

Antoine de Chézy, Louis Jean Desprez French, Etching — Antoine de Chézy
Louis Jean Desprez
ca. 1772–76

The Capture of Selinus by Hannibal, Louis Jean Desprez French, Etching and aquatint with drypoint, state II/II — The Capture of Selinus by Hannibal
Louis Jean Desprez
n.d.

Tomb with Death Enthroned as a Sphinx, Louis Jean Desprez French, Etching and aquatint, printed in brown ink, ii/ii — Tomb with Death Enthroned as a Sphinx
Louis Jean Desprez
ca. 1779–84

Design for the Decoration of the Altar to be erected during the Holy Week, Dedicated to Monseigneur Christophe de Beaumont, Archbishop of Paris, Louis Jean Desprez French, Etching — Design for the Decoration of the Altar to be erected during the Holy Week, Dedicated to Monseigneur Christophe de Beaumont, Archbishop of Paris
Louis Jean Desprez
1769

Louis Jean Desprez French, Brush and brown wash over etching — A view of the Tomb of Mamia, in Pompeii
Louis Jean Desprez
Francesco Piranesi
n.d.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.