{"id":29216,"date":"2025-06-05T17:28:38","date_gmt":"2025-06-05T15:28:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vichy-encheres.com\/?p=29216"},"modified":"2025-08-29T10:50:15","modified_gmt":"2025-08-29T08:50:15","slug":"lubin-baugin-nature-morte","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vichy-encheres.com\/en\/2025\/06\/05\/lubin-baugin-nature-morte\/","title":{"rendered":"D\u00e9couverte exceptionnelle d\u2019une cinqui\u00e8me nature morte de Lubin Baugin et record d’adjudication"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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La red\u00e9couverte de cette nature morte de Lubin Baugin est un r\u00e9el \u00e9v\u00e9nement pour l\u2019histoire de l\u2019art et la valorisation du patrimoine pictural fran\u00e7ais. Longtemps conserv\u00e9e dans une collection priv\u00e9e et r\u00e9v\u00e9l\u00e9e \u00e0 Vichy Ench\u00e8res, cette \u0153uvre vient enrichir le corpus encore trop mince des natures mortes fran\u00e7aises connues du XVII\u1d49 si\u00e8cle. Elle a \u00e9t\u00e9 vendue 550 000 \u20ac le 16 ao\u00fbt 2025. Vichy Ench\u00e8res signe ainsi le record mondial d’adjudication pour un tableau de Lubin Baugin. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Catalogue – bient\u00f4t disponible<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Vente du 16 ao\u00fbt 2025<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Contact<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Experts<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
English version<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Une red\u00e9couverte majeure<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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La cinqui\u00e8me nature morte connue de Baugin<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Cette d\u00e9couverte vient porter au nombre de cinq les natures mortes sign\u00e9es de Lubin Baugin aujourd\u2019hui connues. Ces \u0153uvres, toutes r\u00e9alis\u00e9es dans les premi\u00e8res ann\u00e9es de sa carri\u00e8re, forment un ensemble d\u2019une rare coh\u00e9rence, tant sur le plan stylistique que technique.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

La plus c\u00e9l\u00e8bre, souvent consid\u00e9r\u00e9e comme un sommet du genre, est le fameux Dessert de gaufrettes<\/em> conserv\u00e9 au Mus\u00e9e du Louvre. Ce tableau, d\u2019une grande \u00e9conomie formelle, juxtapose quelques p\u00e2tisseries, un verre de vin et une fiasque sur une table recouverte d\u2019une nappe blanche. La composition du tableau v\u00e9hicule parfaitement l\u2019art du silence et du myst\u00e8re qui caract\u00e9rise les natures mortes de Baugin.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Le Mus\u00e9e du Louvre conserve \u00e9galement la Nature morte \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9chiquier<\/em>, dont le foisonnement des \u00e9l\u00e9ments repr\u00e9sent\u00e9s contraste avec la sobri\u00e9t\u00e9 des autres natures mortes connues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A ces deux peintures du Louvre s\u2019ajoutent la Nature morte \u00e0 la chandelle<\/em>, conserv\u00e9e \u00e0 la Galleria Spada<\/em> \u00e0 Rome et enfin la Nature morte \u00e0 la coupe d\u2019abricots<\/em>, du Mus\u00e9e des Beaux-Arts de Rennes – probablement la plus ancienne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notre Nature morte aux financiers<\/em> s\u2019inscrit donc dans cette s\u00e9rie, avec un sujet encore in\u00e9dit dans son \u0153uvre.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/a>
Nature morte aux financiers, de Lubin Baugin, vers-1630 – Mis en vente par Vichy-Ench\u00e8res le 16 ao\u00fbt 2025.  \u00a9C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Nature morte \u00e0 la coupe d’abricots, de Lubin Baugin, vers 1630 – Mus\u00e9e des beaux-arts de Rennes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Nature morte \u00e0 la chandelle, de Lubin Baugin, vers-1630 – Galleria Spada – Rome<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Nature morte \u00e0 l’\u00e9chiquier, de Lubin Baugin, vers 1630 – Mus\u00e9e du Louvre – Paris<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Le dessert de gaufrettes de Lubin Baugin , vers 1630-1635 -Mus\u00e9e du Louvre – Paris<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Une s\u00e9rie de natures mortes stylistiquement coh\u00e9rentes<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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\"Signature<\/a>
Signature du tableau La nature morte aux financiers, de Lubin Baugin – vers 1630 – Vichy Ench\u00e8res<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Signature<\/a>
Signature du du tableau Le dessert de gaufrettes de Lubin Baugin – vers 1630-1635 – Mus\u00e9e du Louvre – Paris<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Nature<\/a>
Nature morte aux financiers, de Lubin Baugin, vers-1630 – Mis en vente par Vichy-Ench\u00e8res le 16 ao\u00fbt 2025. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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La comparaison stylistique entre cette \u0153uvre in\u00e9dite et les quatre autres natures mortes connues de Baugin est sans \u00e9quivoque. On retrouve les constantes habituelles, \u00e0 savoir une palette r\u00e9duite, une composition ordonn\u00e9e, une vaisselle sobre, un \u00e9clairage tamis\u00e9, et la signature en capitales \u201cBAVGIN\u201d. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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L\u2019artiste utilise des fonds sombres qui mettent en valeur les objets et mod\u00e8lent subtilement leurs contours. La palette – domin\u00e9e par les ocres, bruns dor\u00e9s, gris-verts et blancs crayeux – vient parfaire au caract\u00e8re intimiste de l’\u0153uvre.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Le<\/a>
Le dessert de gaufrettes de Lubin Baugin – vers 1630-1635 – d\u00e9tail -Mus\u00e9e du Louvre – Paris<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Nature<\/a>
Nature morte aux financiers, de Lubin Baugin, vers-1630- d\u00e9tails – Mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 16 ao\u00fbt 2025. \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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La disposition des objets est proche de celle du Dessert de gaufrettes<\/em>. On retrouve le m\u00eame verre de type hollandais plac\u00e9 sur la gauche, la m\u00eame assiette d\u2019\u00e9tain projetant son ombre sur la nappe blanche, et un mur de pierre marquant un angle \u00e0 l\u2019arri\u00e8re-plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ces similitudes, renforc\u00e9es par une ex\u00e9cution identique des effets de textures, ne peuvent qu\u2019\u00eatre l’\u0153uvre de Lubin Baugin et inscrivent cette cinqui\u00e8me nature morte dans la s\u00e9rie qu\u2019il r\u00e9alise certainement au d\u00e9but des ann\u00e9es 1630.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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En effet, il est tr\u00e8s probable que toutes aient \u00e9t\u00e9 peintes \u00e0 Paris durant les premi\u00e8res ann\u00e9es de sa carri\u00e8re, avant son d\u00e9part pour l\u2019Italie en 1632.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Signature<\/a>
Signature de Lubin Baugin, Nature morte aux financiers, infrarouge – Vichy Ench\u00e8res.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Nature<\/a>
Nature morte aux financiers de Lubin Baugin, infrarouge – Mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 16 ao\u00fbt 2025. 
\u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"D\u00e9tail
D\u00e9tail des signatures de Lubin Baugin sur ses autres natures mortes (source : Lubin Baugin, un grand ma\u00eetre enfin retrouv\u00e9).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Un nouveau t\u00e9moignage du modernisme de Baugin<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\"Nature<\/a>
Nature morte aux financiers, de Lubin Baugin vers 1630- Vichy-Ench\u00e8res<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Le<\/a>
Le dessert de gaufrettes de Lubin Baugin – vers 1630-1635 -Mus\u00e9e du Louvre – Paris<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Nature<\/a>
Nature morte aux financiers, de Lubin Baugin -vers-1630- d\u00e9tails -Vichy-Ench\u00e8res<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Cette d\u00e9couverte vient \u00e9galement confirmer l\u2019audace en mati\u00e8re de composition dont faisait preuve Lubin Baugin. On observe, en effet, que notre Nature morte aux financiers<\/em> pr\u00e9sente un couteau et une assiette qui d\u00e9passent sensiblement du bord de la table. Cette composition audacieuse donne \u00e0 la sc\u00e8ne plus de profondeur, tout en introduisant une forme d\u2019\u00e9quilibre instable, venant rompre avec l\u2019apparente sobri\u00e9t\u00e9 de l\u2019ensemble. Lorsque l\u2019on constate ceci, notre premi\u00e8re impression – qui \u00e9tait celle d\u2019une composition ordonn\u00e9e, voire s\u00e9v\u00e8re – est supplant\u00e9e par celle d\u2019originalit\u00e9 et de modernisme. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ce proc\u00e9d\u00e9 de composition n’est pas propre \u00e0 la Nature morte aux financiers<\/em> mais, au contraire, vient l\u2019inscrire davantage dans la s\u00e9rie de natures mortes connues de Baugin. C\u2019est ainsi le cas de la Nature morte \u00e0 la chandelle<\/em> (vers 1630, Galleria Spada, Rome), qui pr\u00e9sente des lettres d\u00e9passant \u00e9galement du bord de la table. En outre, dans le c\u00e9l\u00e8bre Dessert de gaufrettes <\/em>du Mus\u00e9e du Louvre, (vers 1630-1635), une assiette similaire avance audacieusement au-del\u00e0 du plan de la table. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Enfin, dans la Nature morte \u00e0 l’\u00e9chiquier<\/em> \u00e9galement conserv\u00e9e au Louvre, c\u2019est presque tous les \u00e9l\u00e9ments qui semblent pr\u00eats \u00e0 s\u2019\u00e9chapper de la table – le livre de partitions, la mandoline et l\u2019\u00e9chiquier, accentuant l\u2019illusion de profondeur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cette mani\u00e8re de rompre la frontalit\u00e9 de la composition, tr\u00e8s rare en France \u00e0 cette \u00e9poque, pr\u00e9figure certains effets que l\u2019on retrouvera un si\u00e8cle plus tard chez Chardin et n’est pas sans rappeler les exp\u00e9rimentations d’artistes flamands ou hollandais, tels que Willem Claesz Heda ou Pieter Claesz, qui jouaient eux aussi sur ces effets de surplomb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chez Baugin, cette tension entre l’ordre et le d\u00e9s\u00e9quilibre conf\u00e8re \u00e0 l’ensemble une audace et une originalit\u00e9 qui soulignent une fois de plus l’\u00e9tonnante modernit\u00e9 de ce peintre.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Giorgio
Giorgio Morandi, Natura Morta, 1955.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Jean
Jean Sim\u00e9on Chardin, La panier de fraises des bois.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Jean
Jean Sim\u00e9on Chardin, Poires, noix et verre de vin, 1768.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Pieter
Pieter Claesz, Nature morte au hareng, 1636, Mus\u00e9e Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Willem
Willem Claesz Heda, Nature morte au gobelet dor\u00e9, 1635, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Un manifeste des entremets r\u00e9serv\u00e9s \u00e0 l’\u00e9lite au XVIIe<\/sup> si\u00e8cle<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Les friandises repr\u00e9sent\u00e9es<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\"Le<\/a><\/figure>\n
Le jeune duc, de William Quiller-Orchardson-1888-collection priv\u00e9e<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Pour l\u2019\u0153il contemporain, les mets repr\u00e9sent\u00e9s dans cette nature morte de Lubin Baugin peuvent sembler \u00e9nigmatiques, voire aust\u00e8res. Pourtant, pour un spectateur du XVII\u1d49 si\u00e8cle, cette peinture \u00e9voquait un v\u00e9ritable art de vivre et un luxe discret symbolisant la puissance et le raffinement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Nature<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Nature<\/a><\/figure>\n
Nature morte aux financiers, de Lubin Baugin, vers-1630
Oeuvre mise en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 16 ao\u00fbt 2025. 
\u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Baugin a en effet plac\u00e9 sur la table les entremets les plus pris\u00e9s de son temps, servis \u00e0 la fin du repas ou entre les plats, et r\u00e9serv\u00e9s \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9lite[1]<\/sup><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Au centre de la composition, pos\u00e9s sur un plat d\u2019\u00e9tain, on reconna\u00eet des p\u00e2tisseries aux contours rectangulaires, moelleuses et l\u00e9g\u00e8rement bomb\u00e9es, qui \u00e9voquent les financiers ou, plus exactement, ce qu\u2019on appelait alors \u201cvisitandines\u201d –<\/strong> g\u00e2teaux \u00e0 base de poudre d\u2019amande, de sucre et de beurre, n\u00e9s dans les couvents, en particulier celui de la Visitation. \u00c0 leurs c\u00f4t\u00e9s, \u00e9parpill\u00e9s avec soin, se trouvent des fruits secs – <\/strong>figues, dattes – <\/strong>et surtout des fragments de sucre cristallis\u00e9, reconnaissables \u00e0 leur blancheur et \u00e0 leur forme irr\u00e9guli\u00e8re.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ce sucre, encore tr\u00e8s co\u00fbteux au XVII\u1d49 si\u00e8cle, \u00e9tait consomm\u00e9 \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9tat brut ou confit avec des \u00e9pices, et constituait un produit de luxe dont l\u2019usage \u00e0 la table signalait la distinction sociale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ce r\u00e9pertoire d\u2019entremets se retrouve dans plusieurs natures mortes contemporaines. On pense \u00e0 la Nature morte aux noix, friandises et fleurs<\/em> de Clara Peeters, dat\u00e9e de 1611 et conserv\u00e9e au Prado \u00e0 Madrid, o\u00f9 le sucre cristallis\u00e9 c\u00f4toie figues, raisins et amandes dans une coupe de fa\u00efence. On pourrait aussi mentionner la Nature morte avec pain et sucreries<\/em> de Georg Flegel, peinte vers 1635 (St\u00e4del Museum<\/em>, Francfort), o\u00f9 le sucre appara\u00eet en b\u00e2tonnets, associ\u00e9 \u00e0 du pain blanc et \u00e0 des fruits confits, comparables \u00e0 notre nature morte.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/sup><\/a> Pour plus d\u2019informations sur le sujet, voir Dominique Michel, Le dessert au XVIIeme si\u00e8cle<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Nature
Nature morte aux noix, aux friandises et aux fleurs, de Clara Peeters-1611-Prado-Madrid<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Nature
Nature morte au pain et sucrerie, de Georg Flegel-1637-Stadel Museum-Francfort<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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L\u2019entremets au XVII\u1d49 si\u00e8cle, entre d\u00e9lectation des sens et m\u00e9ditation morale<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\"Nature<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Nature<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Nature<\/figure>\n
Nature morte aux financiers, de Lubin Baugin, vers 1630
Oeuvre mise en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 16 ao\u00fbt 2025
\u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Le terme d\u2019entremets au XVII\u1d49 si\u00e8cle d\u00e9signe l\u2019ensemble des plats servis entre les mets principaux, notamment ceux de fin de repas. Il s\u2019agit souvent de mets sucr\u00e9s, servis apr\u00e8s la viande ou le poisson, et destin\u00e9s autant \u00e0 ravir l\u2019\u0153il qu\u2019\u00e0 flatter le palais. Le sucre, alors produit rare et cher, import\u00e9 des colonies, est un symbole de prestige. Le fait d\u2019en disposer pour agr\u00e9menter des fruits, r\u00e9aliser des biscuits, des drag\u00e9es ou des confiseries, t\u00e9moigne d\u2019un certain luxe. Il en va de m\u00eame pour les amandes, les figues et les fruits secs, qui faisaient l\u2019objet d\u2019un commerce sp\u00e9cialis\u00e9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

L\u2019entremets s\u2019affirme au XVII\u1d49 si\u00e8cle comme un moment privil\u00e9gi\u00e9 du repas. Il se distingue du reste par sa l\u00e9g\u00e8ret\u00e9, sa finesse, son aspect d\u00e9coratif. Chez Baugin, l\u2019entremets n\u2019est pas pr\u00e9sent\u00e9 de mani\u00e8re ostentatoire. Il est r\u00e9duit \u00e0 quelques \u00e9l\u00e9ments. La pr\u00e9sence du pain et du vin, associ\u00e9s aux financiers et au sucre, place la sc\u00e8ne dans une tension entre l\u2019ordinaire, le sacr\u00e9 – le symbolisme christique – et le plaisir.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Ce rapprochement n\u2019est pas anodin. Il rappelle une double fonction de l\u2019entremets : \u00e0 la fois moment de d\u00e9lectation des sens et espace de m\u00e9ditation morale. On pourrait d\u2019ailleurs lire dans cette nature morte une discr\u00e8te vanit\u00e9 – <\/strong>le g\u00e2teau est d\u00e9j\u00e0 entam\u00e9, le vin \u00e9galement, le sucre va bient\u00f4t fondre et on croit observer, entre deux financiers sur la gauche de l\u2019assiette principale, une pi\u00e8ce de monnaie. En cela, Baugin se rapproche des grands ma\u00eetres de la peinture morale, sans adopter leurs attributs symboliques explicites. On pense notamment \u00e0 la Nature morte au vin et confiseries, souris et perroquet<\/em> de Georg Flegel, conserv\u00e9e \u00e0 l\u2019Alte Pinakothek<\/em> de Munich, v\u00e9ritable vanit\u00e9 compos\u00e9e entre autres de sucre cristallis\u00e9 – <\/strong>attaqu\u00e9 par des rongeurs –<\/strong> et de pi\u00e8ces de monnaie. Baugin se distingue ici des tendances plus d\u00e9coratives ou exub\u00e9rantes des \u00e9coles flamandes, hollandaises ou ib\u00e9riques. Ce r\u00e9alisme sobre, presque silencieux, participe d\u2019une forme de spiritualit\u00e9 du quotidien.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Vin,<\/a>
Vin, confiseries \u00e0 la souris et au perroquet, de Georg Flegel -Alte Pinakothek- Munich<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Le<\/a>
Le r\u00eave du gentilhomme; d’Antonio de Pereda-1650-Real Academia de Bellas Artes – San-Francisco<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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La nature morte fran\u00e7aise au XVII\u1d49 si\u00e8cle : un genre discret red\u00e9couvert<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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\"Nature<\/a>
Nature morte \u00e0 la coupe de fraises, au panier de cerise et \u00e0 la branche de groseilles, de Louise Moillon-1631-Kimbell Art Museum – Etats-Unis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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En France, la nature morte conna\u00eet au XVII\u1d49 si\u00e8cle un d\u00e9veloppement plus discret que dans les Flandres, les Provinces-Unies ou les royaumes ib\u00e9riques. Ce statut p\u00e9riph\u00e9rique explique la raret\u00e9 des natures mortes fran\u00e7aises du Grand Si\u00e8cle dans les collections publiques. Contrairement aux \u00e9coles flamandes, largement repr\u00e9sent\u00e9es dans les mus\u00e9es europ\u00e9ens, la production fran\u00e7aise reste limit\u00e9e et souvent dispers\u00e9e. Cette raret\u00e9 rend chaque red\u00e9couverte particuli\u00e8rement significative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

En France, ce genre resta longtemps consid\u00e9r\u00e9 comme inf\u00e9rieur dans la hi\u00e9rarchie instaur\u00e9e par l\u2019Acad\u00e9mie royale, domin\u00e9e par la peinture d\u2019histoire. Les peintres qui s\u2019y consacraient, comme Louise Moillon, S\u00e9bastien Stoskopff, Fran\u00e7ois Desportes ou Lubin Baugin, travaill\u00e8rent principalement pour une client\u00e8le priv\u00e9e, souvent bourgeoise, et leurs \u0153uvres \u00e9chapp\u00e8rent en grande partie aux grandes commandes publiques.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cette situation explique leur raret\u00e9 dans les collections nationales, mais aussi l\u2019int\u00e9r\u00eat croissant qu\u2019elles suscitent lorsqu\u2019elles r\u00e9apparaissent. Certaines red\u00e9couvertes r\u00e9centes ont ainsi marqu\u00e9 le march\u00e9 de l\u2019art. En 2022, une Nature morte aux fraises<\/em> de Louyse Moillon, longtemps conserv\u00e9e dans une collection priv\u00e9e, a \u00e9t\u00e9 adjug\u00e9e plus de 1,5 million d\u2019euros et est aujourd\u2019hui conserv\u00e9e au Kimbell Art Museum. En 2020, une spectaculaire Nature morte au troph\u00e9e de gibier, fruits et perroquet sur fond de niche<\/em> de Fran\u00e7ois Desportes avait atteint 1,6 million d\u2019euros, un record mondial, lors d\u2019une vente publique \u00e0 Bordeaux, confirmant la valeur patrimoniale de ces \u0153uvres longtemps m\u00e9connues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dans ce contexte, l\u2019apparition d\u2019une cinqui\u00e8me nature morte sign\u00e9e de Lubin Baugin constitue un enrichissement de notre connaissance de l\u2019histoire de l\u2019art de cette \u00e9poque. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Nature<\/a>
Nature morte au troph\u00e9e, au gibier, aux fruits et au perroquet, d’Alexandre-Fran\u00e7ois Desportes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Elle s\u2019inscrit dans un corpus encore r\u00e9duit, mais d\u2019une qualit\u00e9 artistique exceptionnelle, qui t\u00e9moigne d\u2019une tradition fran\u00e7aise de la nature morte \u00e0 red\u00e9couvrir.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Lubin Baugin, un peintre myst\u00e9rieux<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Biographie<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\"Le<\/a>
Le sommeil de l’enfant J\u00e9sus -vers-1640-1642- Mus\u00e9e du Louvre – Paris<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"La<\/a>
La d\u00e9ploration, de Lubin Baugin -vers 1650- Mus\u00e9e du Louvre – Paris<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Lubin Baugin na\u00eet \u00e0 Pithiviers en 1610. Il se forme probablement dans le sillage de l\u2019\u00e9cole de Fontainebleau. Apr\u00e8s sa formation en province, il rejoint Paris et obtient en 1629 sa ma\u00eetrise \u00e0 Saint-Germain-des-Pr\u00e9s. \u00c0 cette \u00e9poque, les jeunes peintres ne pouvaient r\u00e9aliser de grands tableaux religieux ou d\u00e9coratifs \u00e0 l’int\u00e9rieur de la ville, privil\u00e8ge r\u00e9serv\u00e9 aux membres de la corporation des peintres et sculpteurs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

C’est donc dans ce contexte que Baugin, influenc\u00e9 par ses coll\u00e8gues flamands install\u00e9s \u00e0 Paris, s’essaya \u00e0 la nature morte. Ce genre connaissait un grand succ\u00e8s aupr\u00e8s de la bourgeoisie parisienne et se vendait facilement dans les march\u00e9s du faubourg Saint-Germain. Mais cette production fut br\u00e8ve, sans doute interrompue par son voyage en Italie, et peu d’\u0153uvres ont surv\u00e9cu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

En 1632, Baugin part pour l\u2019Italie, s\u00e9journe \u00e0 Rome, se marie et s\u2019impr\u00e8gne de la tradition classique – en particulier de Guido Reni – ce qui lui vaut le surnom de \u201cpetit Guide\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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De retour \u00e0 Paris en 1641, il est d\u00e9sormais reconnu comme peintre d\u2019histoire. Il obtient des commandes pour des \u00e9glises, r\u00e9alise des Vierges \u00e0 l\u2019Enfant, des retables, des all\u00e9gories religieuses. Il convient notamment de signaler la pr\u00e9sence, \u00e0 quelques dizaines de kilom\u00e8tres de Vichy, d’un chef-d’\u0153uvre du genre attribu\u00e9 \u00e0 Baugin. Il s’agit d’une grande Descente de croix<\/em>, conserv\u00e9e dans la cath\u00e9drale de Lu\u00e7on. Cette toile, longtemps ignor\u00e9e, a \u00e9t\u00e9 attribu\u00e9e \u00e0 Baugin par Jacques Thuillier et Pierre Rosenberg. Loin d’\u00eatre une \u0153uvre marginale, cette Descente de croix<\/em> r\u00e9v\u00e8le la ma\u00eetrise de Baugin dans le domaine de la peinture religieuse monumentale. Il meurt en 1663 \u00e0 Paris[1]<\/sup><\/a>. Tomb\u00e9 dans l\u2019oubli au XVIII\u1d49 si\u00e8cle, il est red\u00e9couvert au XX\u1d49 si\u00e8cle gr\u00e2ce aux recherches de Charles Sterling et Michel Far\u00e9, qui identifient ses natures mortes et d\u00e9fendent la singularit\u00e9 de son \u0153uvre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/sup><\/a> Pour plus d\u2019informations, voir : Lubin Baugin (vers 1610-1663), un grand ma\u00eetre enfin retrouv\u00e9<\/em>, cat. exp., Orl\u00e9ans, mus\u00e9e des Beaux-Arts, 21 f\u00e9vrier\u201319 mai 2002 ; Toulouse, mus\u00e9e des Augustins, 8 juin\u20139 septembre 2002, sous la dir. de Jacques Thuillier, Annick Notter et Alain Daguerre de Hureaux, Paris, R\u00e9union des mus\u00e9es nationaux, 2002<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Lubin
Lubin Baugin, Descente de Croix, Cath\u00e9drale de Lu\u00e7on.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Pourquoi les natures mortes et controverse autour de l\u2019existence d\u2019un deuxi\u00e8me Baugin<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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\"Nature<\/a><\/figure>\n
Nature morte aux financiers, de Lubin Baugin, vers 1630
Oeuvre mise en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 16 ao\u00fbt 2025
\u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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L\u2019historiographie a longtemps h\u00e9sit\u00e9 \u00e0 attribuer les natures mortes de Lubin Baugin au m\u00eame peintre que les tableaux religieux. L\u2019argument principal reposait sur la signature, puisque les natures mortes sont sign\u00e9es \u201cBAVGIN\u201d en lettres capitales, tandis que les tableaux d\u2019histoire ne le sont pas. D\u2019aucuns ont ainsi cru en l\u2019existence de deux Baugin –<\/strong> un Lubin auteur des sc\u00e8nes sacr\u00e9es, parfois nomm\u00e9 \u00e0 tort Antoine ou Alexandre, et un auteur des natures mortes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Cette hypoth\u00e8se a \u00e9t\u00e9 d\u00e9finitivement \u00e9cart\u00e9e par Michel Far\u00e9, qui a d\u00e9montr\u00e9 l\u2019unit\u00e9 stylistique des \u0153uvres et la compatibilit\u00e9 biographique[1]<\/sup><\/a>. De plus, certaines \u0153uvres religieuses de petit format portent bien la signature cursive de Lubin Baugin. Il est d\u00e9sormais admis qu\u2019il s\u2019agit d\u2019un seul et m\u00eame peintre, dont la production s\u2019est adapt\u00e9e aux circonstances – natures mortes \u00e0 ses d\u00e9buts ; \u0153uvres religieuses \u00e0 sa maturit\u00e9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/sup><\/a> Michel Far\u00e9, Le Grand Si\u00e8cle de la nature morte en France, le <\/em>XVII<\/em><\/a>e<\/sup><\/em><\/a> si\u00e8cle<\/em><\/a>, Fribourg, 1974<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Rendue au regard des historiens et des institutions, cette exceptionnelle nature morte \u00e9claire le r\u00f4le pionnier de Lubin Baugin dans l\u2019\u00e9mergence de la nature morte fran\u00e7aise et vient enrichir notre connaissance restreinte de ce genre pictural durant le Grand Si\u00e8cle.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Nous remercions Monsieur Ren\u00e9 Millet, expert en tableaux et dessins anciens, pour son concours \u00e0 la r\u00e9daction de cet article.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
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THE EXCEPTIONAL DISCOVERY OF A FIFTH STILL LIFE BY LUBIN BAUGIN AND AUCTION RECORD<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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The discovery of this still life by Lubin Baugin is very significant for French art history, and art history more generally. This work, which was long held in a private collection and was unveiled at Vichy Ench\u00e8res, joins the still limited number of known 17th-century French still lifes. It sold for \u20ac550,000 on August 16, 2025. Vichy Ench\u00e8res thus set the new world record for the sale of a painting by Lubin Baugin.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Catalog – available soon…<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Sale on 16 June 2025<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Contact<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Experts<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Version fran\u00e7aise<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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A major discovery<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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The fifth known still life by Baugin<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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This discovery brings to five the number of still lifes by Lubin Baugin known today. These works, all produced in the early years of his career, are unusually consistent, both from a stylistic and technical point of view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most famous of them, which is often considered a masterpiece of the genre, is the famous Still Life with Wafer Biscuits<\/em> held at the Louvre. This painting, with its very economical composition, features a few pastries, a glass of wine and a flask on a table covered with a white tablecloth. The painting’s composition perfectly conveys the art of silence and mystery that is typical of Baugin’s still lifes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The Louvre also keeps Still Life with a Chessboard<\/em>, whose many elements contrast with the sobriety of Baugin’s other known still lifes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to these two paintings in the Louvre, the series includes Still Life with Candlelight<\/em>, held at the Galleria Spada in Rome, and finally Still Life with Peaches<\/em>, in the Mus\u00e9e des Beaux-Arts in Rennes, which is probably the oldest of the series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our Still Life with Financiers<\/em> thus falls within this series, featuring a subject previously unseen in the work of this artist.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/a>
Nature morte aux financiers, de Lubin Baugin, vers-1630 – Mis en vente par Vichy-Ench\u00e8res le 16 ao\u00fbt 2025.  \u00a9C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Nature morte \u00e0 la coupe d’abricots, de Lubin Baugin, vers 1600-1630 – Mus\u00e9e des beaux-arts de Rennes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Nature morte \u00e0 la chandelle, de Lubin Baugin, vers-1630 – Galleria Spada – Rome<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Nature morte \u00e0 l’\u00e9chiquier, de Lubin Baugin, vers 1630 – Mus\u00e9e du Louvre – Paris<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Le dessert de gaufrettes de Lubin Baugin , vers 1630-1635 -Mus\u00e9e du Louvre – Paris<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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A Series of Stylistically Consistent Still Lifes<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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\"Signature<\/a>
Signature du tableau La nature morte aux financiers, de Lubin Baugin – vers 1930 – Vichy Ench\u00e8res<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Signature<\/a>
Signature du du tableau Le dessert de gaufrettes de Lubin Baugin – vers 1630-1635 – Mus\u00e9e du Louvre – Paris<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Nature<\/a>
Nature morte aux financiers, de Lubin Baugin, vers-1630 – Mis en vente par Vichy-Ench\u00e8res le 16 ao\u00fbt 2025. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The similarity of style between this previously unseen work and Baugin’s four other known still lifes is obvious. The aspects that unite them are all there: a limited colour palette, an orderly composition, understated tableware, subdued lighting, and the signature “BAVGIN” in capital letters.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The artist used dark backgrounds to highlight the objects and subtly shape their outlines. The colour palette \u2013 dominated by ochres, golden browns, grey-greens, and chalky whites \u2013 adds to the work’s intimate character.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Le<\/a>
Le dessert de gaufrettes de Lubin Baugin – vers 1630-1635 – d\u00e9tail -Mus\u00e9e du Louvre – Paris<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Nature<\/a>
Nature morte aux financiers, de Lubin Baugin, vers-1630- d\u00e9tails – Mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 16 ao\u00fbt 2025. \u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The arrangement of the objects is similar to that of Still Life with Wafer Biscuits<\/em>. We find the same Dutch-style glass placed on the left, the same pewter plate casting its shadow on the white tablecloth, and a stone wall marking a corner in the background.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These similarities, reinforced by the identical treatment of texture, can only be the work of Lubin Baugin and place this fifth still life in the series he most probably completed in the early 1630s.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Indeed, it is very likely that all of them were painted in Paris during the early years of his career, before his departure for Italy in 1632.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Signature<\/a>
Signature de Lubin Baugin, Nature morte aux financiers, infrarouge – Vichy Ench\u00e8res.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Nature<\/a>
Nature morte aux financiers de Lubin Baugin, infrarouge – Mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 16 ao\u00fbt 2025. 
\u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"D\u00e9tail
D\u00e9tail des signatures de Lubin Baugin sur ses autres natures mortes (source : Lubin Baugin, un grand ma\u00eetre enfin retrouv\u00e9).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Further evidence of Baugin’s modernism<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\"Nature
Nature morte aux financiers, of Lubin Baugin circa 1630- Vichy-Ench\u00e8res<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Le
Le dessert de gaufrettes of Lubin Baugin – circa 1630-1635 – Louvre Museum – Paris<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"Nature
Nature morte aux financiers, of Lubin Baugin -circa1630- details-Vichy-Ench\u00e8res<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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This discovery also confirms the boldness of Lubin Baugin’s composition. Our Nature morte aux financiers features a knife and plate that protrude significantly beyond the edge of the table. This bold composition gives the scene greater depth, while introducing a form of unstable balance that breaks with the apparent sobriety of the whole. When we see this, our first impression – that of an ordered, even severe composition – is supplanted by that of originality and modernism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This compositional technique is not specific to Still Life with Financiers, but rather places it more firmly within the series of still lifes known to Baugin. This is the case in Still Life by Candlelight (c. 1630, Galleria Spada, Rome), which also features letters protruding from the edge of the table. In addition, in the famous Dessert de gaufrettes in the Mus\u00e9e du Louvre (c. 1630-1635), a similar plate boldly juts out beyond the plane of the table. Finally, in Still Life with Chessboard, also in the Louvre, almost all the elements seem ready to escape from the table – the music book, the mandolin and the chessboard – accentuating the illusion of depth.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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This way of breaking the frontal nature of the composition, which was very rare in France at the time, prefigures certain effects that would be seen a century later in Chardin, and is reminiscent of the experiments of Flemish and Dutch artists such as Willem Claesz Heda and Pieter Claesz, who also played on these overhanging effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Baugin’s case, this tension between order and imbalance lends the whole a boldness and originality that once again underline the astonishing modernity of this painter.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Giorgio
Giorgio Morandi, Natura Morta, 1955.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Jean
Jean Sim\u00e9on Chardin, La panier de fraises des bois.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Jean
Jean Sim\u00e9on Chardin, Poires, noix et verre de vin, 1768.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Pieter
Pieter Claesz, Nature morte au hareng, 1636, Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum, Rotterdam.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Willem
Willem Claesz Heda, Nature morte au gobelet dor\u00e9, 1635, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The depiction of desserts reserved for the elite in the 17th<\/sup> century<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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The featured treats<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\"Le<\/a><\/figure>\n
Le jeune duc, de William Quiller-Orchardson-1888-collection priv\u00e9e<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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To the contemporary eye, the dishes depicted in this still life by Lubin Baugin may seem curious, even austere. However, to the 17th-century eye, this painting evoked the true art of living and the discreet luxury symbolizing power and refinement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Nature<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Nature<\/a><\/figure>\n
Nature morte aux financiers, de Lubin Baugin, vers-1630
Oeuvre mise en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 16 ao\u00fbt 2025. 
\u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Indeed, Baugin placed on the table the most sought-after desserts of his time, served at the end of the meal or between courses, and reserved for the elite [1]<\/sup><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the centre of the composition, placed on a pewter platter, are soft, slightly rounded, rectangular pastries reminiscent of financiers or, more specifically, what were then called “visitandines”: cakes made with almond powder, sugar and butter, originating from convents, particularly that of the Visitation. Carefully scattered alongside them are dried fruits \u2013 figs and dates \u2013 and, above all, fragments of granulated sugar, recognizable by their whiteness and irregular shape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This sugar, still very expensive in the 17th century, was eaten raw or candied with spices, and was a luxury item whose use at the table signalled social distinction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This array of desserts can be found in several contemporary still lifes: for instance, in Clara Peeters’ Still Life with Nuts, Sweets and Flowers<\/em>, dated 1611 and kept in the Prado in Madrid, in which crystallized sugar sits alongside figs, grapes and almonds in a glazed pottery bowl; also, in Georg Flegel’s Still Life with Bread and Sweets<\/em>, painted around 1635 (St\u00e4del Museum, Frankfurt), where sugar appears in the form of sticks, and is combined with white bread and candied fruit, similar to those in our still life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/sup><\/a> Pour plus d\u2019informations sur le sujet, voir Dominique Michel, Le dessert au XVIIeme si\u00e8cle<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The \u201centremets\u201d in the 17th<\/sup> century: from sensory experience to reflection on morality<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\"Nature<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Nature<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Nature<\/figure>\n
Nature morte aux financiers, de Lubin Baugin, vers 1630
Oeuvre mise en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 16 ao\u00fbt 2025
\u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The term \u201centremets\u201d in the 17th century referred to all the dishes served between the main courses, particularly those at the end of the meal. These were often sweet dishes, served after meat or fish, and intended as much to delight the eye as to rejoice the palate. Sugar, then a rare and expensive commodity imported from the colonies, was a symbol of prestige. Its use to garnish fruit, or to make biscuits, sugared almonds and confectionery, demonstrated a certain luxury. The same was true for almonds, figs and dried fruits, which were all specialty items.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the 17th<\/sup> century, the dessert established itself as an important part of a meal. It stood out from the other dishes for its lightness, refinement and decorative quality. With Baugin, the dessert is not presented ostentatiously. It is reduced to a few elements. The presence of bread and wine, which accompany the financiers and sugar, creates a tension between the ordinary, the sacred (Christian symbolism) and pleasure.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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This juxtaposition is not insignificant. It recalls the dual function of the dessert: both a moment of sensory delight and a space for moral meditation. One could also read a discreet reference to vanitas in this still life: the cake is already partly consumed, so is the wine, the sugar will soon melt, and you can make out, between two financiers on the left of the main plate, a coin. In this, Baugin draws closer to the great masters of moral painting, without explicitly adopting their symbolism. It is reminiscent in particular of Georg Flegel’s Still Life with Wine and Confectionery, Mouse and Parrot<\/em>, kept at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, a true vanitas composed, amongst other things, of crystallized sugar \u2013 infested by rodents \u2013 and coins. Baugin distinguishes himself here from the more decorative or exuberant tendencies of the Flemish, Dutch or Iberian schools. His sober, almost muted, realism belongs to a form of everyday spirituality.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Vin,<\/a>
Vin, confiseries \u00e0 la souris et au perroquet, de Georg Flegel -Alte Pinakothek- Munich<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Le<\/a>
Le r\u00eave du gentilhomme; d’Antonio de Pereda-1650-Real Academia de Bellas Artes – San-Francisco<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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French still life in the 17th <\/sup>century: the rediscovery of a long-overlooked genre<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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\"Nature<\/a>
Nature morte \u00e0 la coupe de fraises, au panier de cerise et \u00e0 la branche de groseilles, de Louise Moillon-1631-Kimbell Art Museum – Etats-Unis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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In France, still life experienced a more limited development in the 17th<\/sup> century than in Flanders, the United Provinces and the Iberian kingdoms. Its development on the peripheries explains the rarity of French still lifes from the 17th century in public collections. Unlike the Flemish schools, widely represented in European museums, works of French origin remain limited and often scattered. This rarity makes each rediscovery particularly significant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In France, this genre was long considered inferior in the hierarchy established by the Royal Academy, which was dominated by historical paintings. The painters who devoted themselves to this genre, such as Louise Moillon, S\u00e9bastien Stoskopff, Fran\u00e7ois Desportes, and Lubin Baugin, worked primarily for private, often bourgeois, clients and were rarely commissioned by major public institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This context explains their rarity in national collections, but also the growing interest they generate when they reappear. Some recent rediscoveries have thus left their mark on the art market. In 2022, Still Life with Strawberries<\/em> by Louyse Moillon, which was long held in a private collection, fetched over \u20ac1.5 million and is now in the possession of the Kimbell Art Museum. In 2020, the spectacular Still Life with Game Trophy, Fruit and Parrot Against a Niche<\/em> by Fran\u00e7ois Desportes reached a world record \u20ac1.6 million at a public sale in Bordeaux, confirming the historical significance of these long-overlooked works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this context, the discovery of a fifth still life by Lubin Baugin enriches our knowledge of the art history of this period.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Nature<\/a>
Nature morte au troph\u00e9e, au gibier, aux fruits et au perroquet, d’Alexandre-Fran\u00e7ois Desportes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It is part of a \u2013 still \u2013 small group of similar works, but one of exceptional artistic quality, which speaks of a French still life tradition awaiting rediscovery.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Lubin Baugin, a painter shrouded in mystery<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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His life<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\"Le<\/a>
Le sommeil de l’enfant J\u00e9sus -vers-1640-1642- Mus\u00e9e du Louvre – Paris<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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La d\u00e9ploration, de Lubin Baugin -vers 1650- Mus\u00e9e du Louvre – Paris<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Lubin Baugin was born in Pithiviers in 1610. He probably trained in the tradition of the Fontainebleau school. After training in the provinces, he moved to Paris and obtained his master’s degree at Saint-Germain-des-Pr\u00e9s in 1629. At that time, young painters were prohibited from producing large religious or decorative paintings within the city limits, as it was a privilege reserved for members of the guild of painters and sculptors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was in this context that Baugin, influenced by his Flemish colleagues living in Paris, started producing still lifes. This genre was very popular with the Parisian bourgeoisie and sold well in the markets of Faubourg Saint-Germain. However, the number of these works he produced was limited, probably due to his move to Italy, and few have survived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1632, Baugin moved to Italy, stayed in Rome, married, and immersed himself in the classical tradition \u2013 particularly that of Guido Reni \u2013 which earned him the nickname \u201clittle Guido\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Back in Paris in 1641, he was now considered a history painter. He received commissions for churches, creating Virgins and Child, altarpieces and religious allegories. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few dozen kilometres from Vichy, there is a masterpiece of the genre attributed to Baugin. It is a large painting of the Descent from the Cross, kept in Lu\u00e7on Cathedral. This painting, long ignored, has been attributed to Baugin by Jacques Thuillier and Pierre Rosenberg. Far from being a marginal work, this Descent from the Cross reveals Baugin’s mastery of monumental religious painting. He died in 1663 in Paris [1]<\/sup><\/a>. Having fallen into oblivion in the 18th century, he was rediscovered in the 20th thanks to research by Charles Sterling and Michel Far\u00e9, who authenticated his still lifes and championed the uniqueness of his work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/sup><\/a> Pour plus d\u2019informations, voir : Lubin Baugin (vers 1610-1663), un grand ma\u00eetre enfin retrouv\u00e9<\/em>, cat. exp., Orl\u00e9ans, mus\u00e9e des Beaux-Arts, 21 f\u00e9vrier\u201319 mai 2002 ; Toulouse, mus\u00e9e des Augustins, 8 juin\u20139 septembre 2002, sous la dir. de Jacques Thuillier, Annick Notter et Alain Daguerre de Hureaux, Paris, R\u00e9union des mus\u00e9es nationaux, 2002<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\"Lubin
Lubin Baugin, Descent from the Cross, Lu\u00e7on Cathedral.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The origins of the still lifes and the controversy surrounding the existence of a second Baugin<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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\"Nature<\/a><\/figure>\n
Nature morte aux financiers, de Lubin Baugin, vers 1630
Oeuvre mise en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 16 ao\u00fbt 2025
\u00a9 C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Art historians long hesitated to attribute Lubin Baugin’s still lifes to the same painter who produced the religious paintings. The main doubt laid with the signature, since the still lifes are signed “BAVGIN” in capital letters, while the history paintings are not. Therefore, some believed in the existence of two Baugins \u2013 Lubin, sometimes incorrectly named Antoine or Alexandre, who painted the sacred scenes \u2013 and another, who painted the still lifes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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This theory was definitively dismissed by Michel Far\u00e9, who demonstrated the stylistic similarities between the two types of works, and the fact that their production was consistent with the known biographical details on the artist [1]<\/sup><\/a>. Moreover, some small-size religious paintings do bear Lubin Baugin’s cursive signature. It is now generally accepted that all these works are by the same artist, whose work reflected his circumstances, painting still lifes in his early years and religious works in his later years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/sup><\/a> Michel Far\u00e9, Le Grand Si\u00e8cle de la nature morte en France, le <\/em>XVII<\/em><\/a>e<\/sup><\/em><\/a> si\u00e8cle<\/em><\/a>, Fribourg, 1974<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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This exceptional still life, which has been brought to the attention of historians and institutions, attests to Lubin Baugin’s pioneering role in the emergence of the French still life genre and enriches our limited knowledge of this genre during the 17th century.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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We would like to thank Ren\u00e9 Millet, an expert in old paintings and drawings, for his help in writing this article.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
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\ud83d\ude80 Suivez-nous !<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n