François-Xavier FABRE (1766 -1837) - Helen imploring Menelaus

François-Xavier Fabre
Montpellier, 1766 -Idem, 1837
Hélène suppliant Ménélas 1796
Pen with brown and black ink, highlights of white gouache on ochre-yellow prepared paper.
240 x 191 mm
Provenance: Albert Finot, stamped lower left (Lugt 3627); USA, Oakland, private collection.

In 1796, the American art lover Joseph Allen Smith commissioned two paintings from François-Xavier Fabre: Ajax and Cassandra and Helen at the Feet of Menelaus. In one of his letters dated 1797, Fabre assures us that he is working on them, and it seems that the composition of Hélène et Ménélas is less advanced than that of Ajax et Cassandre, of which there are two fairly accomplished versions on paper in the Uffizi and Musée Fabre. For the painting Hélène et Ménélas, apart from our drawing, only two studies are known, both in Montpellier.
Ours is considerably more elaborate than the Montpellier version (inv.837-1-376), and is executed on a prepared ochre-yellow paper that enhances the penwork and white gouache highlights.
The drawing is in excellent condition, bearing a renowned collector's stamp, mounted with false margins, and remains to be framed.