Nicolas Poussin: Rediscovered Erotic Painting Auctioned At Hôtel Drouot

Nicolas Poussin

The French auction house Ader, in association with Cabinet Turquin, offers a remarkable early painting by Nicolas Poussin, which will be auctioned at Hôtel Drouot in Paris on 26 November 2024. Titled Vénus Épiée par Deux Satyres (Venus Spied Upon by Two Satyrs), this striking and sensual canvas is a rarity for a public auction. Measuring 70 x 95.5 cm, this work gives a fascinating glimpse into the early erotic themes that Poussin created before his later, more classical subjects.

This sale presents a unique opportunity for collectors, as Poussin’s works seldom appear on the market. The history of Vénus Épiée par Deux Satyres is a beautiful tale of ambiguity. It was first documented by Tancred Borenius in 1933 and was part of the esteemed collection of the Louvre’s great chef de peinture, Paul Jamot. It remained in private hands after being sold in 1943, known only through a black-and-white photograph. This limited visibility led the influential scholar and Russian spy Anthony Blunt to reject the work in the 1960s, although Jacques Thuillier later speculated that it could be by Poussin.

The painting remained in limbo until an article by Nicolas Milovanovic and Mickaël Szanto, supplemented by meticulous restorations, placed it among Poussin’s early works in 2017. Subsequently, it appeared in the 2023 Poussin et l’Amour exhibition at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Lyon, alongside two other similar Venuses from Zurich’s Kunsthaus and London’s National Gallery. All three works date from 1625-1626, when Titian and Carracci’s mythological themes and sensual imagery had mainly influenced Poussin.

The contrast in Vénus Épiée par Deux Satyres by Poussin particularly sets between the goddess’s rosy, tenuous skin and the satyrs’ rough, lustful expressions. Subtle tonality, the treatment of light and shadow, and the fluidity of Poussin’s brushstrokes speak to his mastery during this formative period.

The discovery of this painting challenges long-held assumptions about Poussin’s oeuvre. ‘We couldn’t imagine that Poussin would have painted a subject like this in 1626,’ says Nicolas Poussin expert Eric Turquin. The audacity of the subject matter, a voyeuristic scene of Venus being spied upon by satyrs, was once considered too licentious to be attributed to the French master. However, changing attitudes among art historians and the painting’s restoration have reinstated its rightful place within Poussin’s body of work.

Pierre Rosenberg, currently preparing a catalogue raisonné of Nicolas Poussin, has stated that this painting will be included, marking a significant addition to this artist’s early oeuvre. The sale of Vénus Épiée par Deux Satyres offers a rare opportunity for collectors and art historians to study a pivotal work by one of France’s most revered painters.

The auction, which takes place at 2 PM on 26 November at Hôtel Drouot, features an array of high-quality Old Master paintings. The sale allows institutions to purchase a piece of French art history. Nicolas Poussin’s early exploration of mythological eroticism provides the key to understanding the development of painting. Estimate: €800,000 and €1,000,000. But will the export of this national treasure be allowed?

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