Acquisition of a preparatory sketch by Jean-Jacques Henner

A new acquisition joins the MBA: a drawing by Jean-Jacques Henner, preparatory to his 𝘑𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘱𝘩 𝘉𝘢𝘳𝘢, a young drummer murdered by the Vendéens on December 7, 1793, for his patriotism. After an initial painting on this subject at the 1882 Salon (Paris, Petit Palais), Henner wanted to redo it: "𝘑'𝘢𝘪 𝘦𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘦 𝘥𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘉𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘴𝘶𝘳 𝘶𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘪𝘭𝘦. 𝘑𝘦 𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘪 𝘱𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤, 𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘤 𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘴, 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦 𝘶𝘯 𝘝𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘻." On February 18, 1888, Eudoxe Marcille, director of the museum, expressed his delight at receiving the artist's donation of this second version for the Musée d'Orléans. No preparatory drawings were known to exist for this composition until it appeared at public auction last May, where the museum had the pleasure of acquiring it. It joins the final painting, as well as a preparatory sketch acquired in 1999, to better illustrate the creative process of this great painter of the Third Republic.