Attributed to Charles LE BRUN (Paris, 1619 - 1690) Deploration of Christ Oil on copper Lamentation of Christ, oil on copper, attr. to C. Le Brun 13.98 x 18.11 in. 35.5 x 46.0 cm Provenance: Possibly Victor-Henri Guibert (1899-1980), industrialist (Guibert frères, gantier); Possibly his sale (Château de Cabrières collection); Paris, Palais Galliera, Mes M. et P. Rheims, 8 December 1964, no. 29 ; Heim Gallery, London, 1968; Anonymous sale; Paris, Hôtel Drouot, Vermot & Associés, 23 May 2023, no. 15 (as Dutch school circa 1650); Acquired at this sale by the current owner Exhibitions: French Paintings & Sculptures of 17th century (Part I), London, Heim Gallery, 12 June-15 August 1968, no. 29, repr. Bibliography: Conservation et restauration. Peintures des musées de Dijon, cat. exp. Dijon, Musée Magnin, 1983, mentioned in notice n° 34 Orangerie 1934: Les "Peintres de la réalité", cat. exp. Paris, Musée de l'Orangerie, 2006-2007, mentioned p. 172, in entry no. 124 Pierre-Yves Kairis, Béatrice Sarrazin, François Trémolières (eds.), La Restauration des peintures et des sculptures. Connaissance et reconnaissance de l'œuvre, Paris, 2012, p. 226 This copper, depicting the Virgin Mary weeping over the dead Christ, has been linked to a larger canvas in the collections of the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Dijon, depicting the dead Christ lying on his shroud (no. CA493). The Dijon painting is attributed to Charles Le Brun by Jacques Thuillier, who dates the work to 1639-1640, suggesting that it is an early work by the painter. The author bases his opinion on stylistic criteria, as there are no older sources that mention this painting1. The Dijon work, whose original subject was supposed to be a Deposition from the Cross or a Pietà, had its upper part amputated at an unknown date2. In this painting, we can still make out a section of the Virgin Mary's midnight-blue dress holding Christ's hand. We are therefore tempted to see our copper as a preparatory work for the Dijon painting, documenting the original composition. 1. Neither the works of Guillet de Saint-Georges nor those of Claude Nivelon mention this work. 2. In fact, a restoration campaign carried out in the late 1970s revealed as much. Attributed to Charles LE BRUN (Paris, 1619 - 1690) 35.5 x 46.0 cm This copper painting of the Virgin Mary weeping over the dead Christ has been compared with a larger canvas in the collections of the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Dijon, showing the dead Christ lying on his shroud (no. CA493). The Dijon painting is attributed to Charles Le Brun by Jacques Thuillier, who dates the work to 1639-1640, suggesting that it is an early work by the painter. The author bases his opinion on stylistic criteria, as there are no older sources that mention this painting1. The Dijon work, whose original subject was supposed to be a Deposition from the Cross or a Pietà, had its upper part amputated at an unknown date2. In this painting, we can still make out a section of the Virgin Mary's midnight-blue dress holding Christ's hand. We are therefore tempted to see our copper as a preparatory work for the Dijon painting, documenting the original composition. 1. Neither the works of Guillet de Saint-Georges nor those of Claude Nivelon mention this work. 2. In fact, a restoration campaign carried out in the late 1970s revealed as much.