Sweet Melancholy

Provenance

Where it has been

1. Probably from 1757 –
   Madame Marie-Thérèse Geoffrin [1699-1777], Paris, France
   high confidenceCleveland Museum of Art

   “Madame Marie-Thérèse Geoffrin [1699-1777], Paris, France (Probably from 1757) [notes: Geoffrin, one of Vien’s patrons and host of a salon that he frequently attended, purchased the painting directly from the artist for 400 livres, possibly at the Salon of 1757.   ]”

2. c. 1765 –
   Jean Louis Antoine le Vaillant de Damery, Chevalier de l’Ordre Royal Militaire de St-Louis [1723-1803]
   high confidenceCleveland Museum of Art

   “Jean Louis Antoine le Vaillant de Damery, Chevalier de l’Ordre Royal Militaire de St-Louis [1723-1803] (c. 1765) [notes: Some versions of the painting’s provenance list Damery followed by Durbarry, while they appear in the reverse order in others.  Although this is not confirmed, it seems that Damery should appear first for the following reasons: 1) An engraving after the painting by Beauvarlet, published c. 1765, situates the painting in the Damery collection; 2) In all versions of this provenance, Conti is followed, directly or indirectly, by the Marquis de Saint-Marc; if the painting appeared in the November 18-19, 1803 sale of Damery’s collection, Damery would fall between Conti and the Marquis in the provenance, which is the never the case; 3) This painting, a prominent titled work by Vien, is not listed by title in the 1803 Damery sale, which includes a lot containing works by Vien, some of which are named; 4) Pierre Remy came into posession of the the painting at the 1774 Dubarry sale, sold it to the Prince de Conti, and then auctioned off the Conti collection in 1777; that Remy acquired the painting at the Dubarry sale and is then associated with the painting for the next three years strongly suggests that Damery was not involved with the painting by this point. It is possible that Damery sold the painting in 1764, when he was forced to sell off part of his paintings collections for financial reasons.  ]”

3. Until 1774 –
   Comte Jean-Baptiste Dubarry [1723-1794], Toulouse, France
   high confidenceCleveland Museum of Art

   “Comte Jean-Baptiste Dubarry [1723-1794], Toulouse, France (Until 1774)”

4. Nov. 21, 1774 –
   (Sale: Jean-Pierre-Baptiste Le Brun and Pierre Remy, Paris, Dubarry sale, Nov. 21, 1774, no. 93, probably bought in)
   high confidenceCleveland Museum of Art

   “(Sale: Jean-Pierre-Baptiste Le Brun and Pierre Remy, Paris, Dubarry sale, Nov. 21, 1774, no. 93, probably bought in) (Nov. 21, 1774)”

5. 1774 –
   (Pierre Remy, Paris, France)
   high confidenceCleveland Museum of Art

   “(Pierre Remy, Paris, France) (1774-) [notes: Remy, who is indicated as the buyer at the Dubarry sale by an annotation in the catalogue, presided over both the Dubarry and Prince de Conti auctions, and thus he was likely not the "buyer" of the painting. Rather, the painting was probably unsold or was bought in at the Dubarry sale, and thus the Vien remained with the auction house or with Remy, in his capacity as an agent, until the Prince de Conti somehow acquired it. ]”

6. Until 1776 –
   Louis François, 6th Prince de Conti [1717-1776], Paris, France
   high confidenceCleveland Museum of Art

   “Louis François, 6th Prince de Conti [1717-1776], Paris, France (Until 1776)”

7. April 17, 1777 –
   (Sale: Pierre Remy, Paris, France, Prince de Conti sale, April 17, 1777, no. 732, sold to Quenet)
   high confidenceCleveland Museum of Art

   “(Sale: Pierre Remy, Paris, France, Prince de Conti sale, April 17, 1777, no. 732, sold to Quenet) (April 17, 1777)”

8. 1777 –
   Quenet, Paris, France
   purchase
   high confidenceCleveland Museum of Art

   “Quenet, Paris, France (1777-) [notes: According to the Getty Provenance Index, Quenet purchased several hundred objects at auctions in the 1770s and 1780s, but beyond this, nothing is known about his identity.]”

9. Until 1818 –
   Jean Paul André des Rasins, Marquis de Saint-Marc [1723-1818], Paris, France, by descent to his daughter, Marie de la Roze
   inheritance
   high confidenceCleveland Museum of Art

   “Jean Paul André des Rasins, Marquis de Saint-Marc [1723-1818], Paris, France, by descent to his daughter, Marie de la Roze (Until 1818)”

10. Probably 1818 – 1859
    Marie de la Roze
    inheritance
    high confidenceCleveland Museum of Art

    “Marie de la Roze (Probably 1818 - 1859) [notes: Marie de la Roze (née de Saint-Marc) inherited the paintings in her father's collection, eventually putting them up for sale at Hôtel Drouot in 1859.]”

11. Feb. 23, 1859 –
    (Sale: Hôtel Drouot, Paris, Marquis de Saint-Marc sale, Paris, Feb. 23, 1859, no. 17)
    high confidenceCleveland Museum of Art

    “(Sale: Hôtel Drouot, Paris, Marquis de Saint-Marc sale, Paris, Feb. 23, 1859, no. 17) (Feb. 23, 1859)”

12. 1955 – 1980
    (Wildenstein & Company, New York, NY, sold to a private collector, UK)
    high confidenceCleveland Museum of Art

    “(Wildenstein & Company, New York, NY, sold to a private collector, UK) (1955-1980)”

13. 1980 – probably 1995
    Private noble collection, UK, sold to Danny Katz and Simon Dickinson through William Thuillier
    purchase
    high confidenceCleveland Museum of Art

    “Private noble collection, UK, sold to Danny Katz and Simon Dickinson through William Thuillier (1980 - probably 1995)”

14. 1995 –
    (William Thuillier, Paris, France, sold to Danny Katz and Simon Dickinson)
    purchase
    high confidenceCleveland Museum of Art

    “(William Thuillier, Paris, France, sold to Danny Katz and Simon Dickinson) (1995)”

15. 1995 –
    (Danny Katz and Simon Dickinson, London, the latter bought out by the former)
    purchase
    high confidenceCleveland Museum of Art

    “(Danny Katz and Simon Dickinson, London, the latter bought out by the former) (1995) [notes: Katz and Dickinson purchased the painting from Thuillier; Katz then bought out Dickinson and sold the painting to Moatti and Kilgore within several days.]”

16. 1995 –
    Danny Katz, London, sold to Emmanuel Moatti and Jack Kilgore
    high confidenceCleveland Museum of Art

    “Danny Katz, London, sold to Emmanuel Moatti and Jack Kilgore (1995)”

17. 1995 – 1996
    (Emmanuel Moatti and Jack Kilgore, New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    purchase
    high confidenceCleveland Museum of Art

    “(Emmanuel Moatti and Jack Kilgore, New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art) (1995-1996)”

18. 1996 –
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio
    purchase
    high confidenceCleveland Museum of Art

    “The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio (1996-)”