Offered by Galerie Duponchel
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Guillaume COURTOIS, called IL BORGOGNONE
(Saint-Hippolyte, 1628 - Rome, 1679)
The Conversion of Saint Paul
Brown wash over black chalk
27.5 x 20.3 cm (45 x 37.5 cm with the frame)
The great vigor of the brushwork, combined with the strong chiaroscuro achieved through a highly contrasted wash, heightens the overall drama. The witnesses to the miracle are rendered as a seething mass at the foot of which lies the figure of the saint, bathed in a halo of light.
In a gesture akin to that of a painter, Il Borgognone applied the ink solely with a brush, covering his sharp black chalk strokes, which aim to efficiently synthesize the key ideas of his composition. Only the figure of Christ, at the top left of our sheet, was not covered by the wash. This technique makes His presence barely perceptible, reinforcing the miraculous nature of His appearance.
Full description available on request
