Félix BRACQUEMOND (Paris, 1833 - Sèvres, 1914) Preparatory drawing for the Rousseau service centrepiece Watercolour and gouache over pencil lines Without frame H : 42.5 cm, W : 61.0 cm Exhibitions: Félix Bracquemond, Limoges, Selb-Plössberg, Beauvais 2005-2006, cat. no. 14/23, repr. p. 63 Rare, complex and large, the centrepiece is the keystone of the Rousseau service. The presence of the ravioli in the corners and a basket in the centre means that our sheet can be linked to this major piece, making it one of the few surviving drawings by Bracquemond for the preparation of the famous service. It should be noted that Rousseau probably did not accept the birds in the round on the tray, which would have required a costly and fragile mould. Félix BRACQUEMOND (Paris, 1833 - Sèvres, 1914) H: 42.5 cm, W: 61.0 cm Rare, complex and large, the centrepiece is the keystone of the Rousseau service. The presence of the ravioli in the corners and a basket in the centre means that our leaf can be linked to this major piece, making it one of the few surviving drawings by Bracquemond for the preparation of the famous service. It should be noted that Rousseau probably did not accept the birds in the round on the tray, which would have required a costly and fragile mould.