A Mountebank selling medicines at a fair
Summary
A reproduction produced by the Vasari Society of a drawing by Jean-Antoine Watteau. The drawing is in red chalk, and shows a mountebank, to the right, standing on a platform improvised from a barrel and a piece of wood. His right arm is raised, addressing some people gathered in front of him. Some jars are laid out on a surface next to the mountebank, and a dog is sniffing around on the ground in front of him. There are some leafy trees behind the scene, with what appears to be a length of bunting strung between two, and two small figures in the branches. Text from the accompanying booklet produced by the Vasari Society: "17. WATTEAU (b. 1684; d. 1721) A MOUNTEBANK SELLING MEDICINES AT A FAIR Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. Bequeathed to the University by Mr. Francis Douce, 1834. Red chalk. 17.6 x 22.8 cm. (6 5/16 x 9 in.). This sketch for a picture of a Mountebank counts among the very few studies for a complete design or picture by Watteau which have come down to us. The 'Hogarthian' character of the dresses helps to class this drawing among the works Watteau executed under the influence of Gillot, whose work it resembles. C. R."
Object Name
A Mountebank selling medicines at a fair
Creators Name
Date Created
1923
accession number
1923.998
Collection Group
Place of creation
Europe
Medium
