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en effet l’habitu<strong>de</strong> <strong>de</strong> préparer soigneusement ses<br />
œuvres peintes par <strong>de</strong>s <strong>de</strong>ssins qu’il réutilisait parfois<br />
dans plusieurs œuvres.<br />
Notre <strong>de</strong>ssin, pourtant, ne semble relié à aucune<br />
compositi<strong>on</strong> c<strong>on</strong>nue. La belle physi<strong>on</strong>omie du<br />
pers<strong>on</strong>nage rappelle celle du père dans La Famille<br />
du menuisier (Sal<strong>on</strong> <strong>de</strong> 1775, aujourd’hui au<br />
Wadsworth Atheneum <strong>de</strong> Hartford, C<strong>on</strong>necticut) et<br />
dans L’Uni<strong>on</strong> paisible (l’une <strong>de</strong>s sept œuvres exposées<br />
par Lépicié au Sal<strong>on</strong> <strong>de</strong> 1777) 5 . Comme lui,<br />
l’homme <strong>de</strong> notre <strong>de</strong>ssin possè<strong>de</strong> un physique robuste<br />
et dégage une énergie physique remarquable.<br />
Le fr<strong>on</strong>t haut, légèrement dégarni <str<strong>on</strong>g>sur</str<strong>on</strong>g> les côtés, accentue<br />
s<strong>on</strong> expressi<strong>on</strong> d’intelligence, et la positi<strong>on</strong><br />
<strong>de</strong> ses mains soli<strong>de</strong>s renforce la vigueur <strong>de</strong> s<strong>on</strong> allure.<br />
S<strong>on</strong> expressi<strong>on</strong> est moins animée mais il paraît<br />
lui aussi être pris <str<strong>on</strong>g>sur</str<strong>on</strong>g> le vif par l’artiste dans une attitu<strong>de</strong><br />
d’un naturel remarquable, au moment où, par<br />
un geste du doigt, il désigne discrètement quelque<br />
chose à un interlocuteur invisible <strong>de</strong> nous. Leur ressemblance<br />
physique peut laisser penser qu’il s’agit<br />
d’un modèle habituellement employé par l’artiste.<br />
L’influence <strong>de</strong> Greuze <str<strong>on</strong>g>sur</str<strong>on</strong>g> Lépicié est évi<strong>de</strong>nte.<br />
Comme lui, l’artiste parvient à introduire le spectateur<br />
dans l’histoire du tableau au moyen <strong>de</strong> la<br />
gestuelle <strong>de</strong> ses pers<strong>on</strong>nages et <strong>de</strong> la sp<strong>on</strong>tanéité<br />
<strong>de</strong> leurs expressi<strong>on</strong>s. C’est au sta<strong>de</strong> <strong>de</strong>s étu<strong>de</strong>s<br />
préparatoires <strong>de</strong>ssinées qu’il peut approf<strong>on</strong>dir sa<br />
recherche <strong>de</strong> réalisme et aiguiser s<strong>on</strong> sens <strong>de</strong> l’observati<strong>on</strong><br />
pour travailler visages, postures et expressi<strong>on</strong>s,<br />
comme en témoigne brillamment ce spectaculaire<br />
<strong>de</strong>ssin.<br />
genre scene since its costume is c<strong>on</strong>temporary to<br />
the artist’s time. Lépicié thoroughly prepared his<br />
pictures by making numerous drawings which he<br />
sometimes used for more than <strong>on</strong>e picture.<br />
However, the present work does not seem to relate<br />
to any known compositi<strong>on</strong>. The handsome figure of<br />
the man shown here is reminiscent of that of the<br />
father in The Capenter’s Family (1775 Sal<strong>on</strong>, now in<br />
the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford,<br />
C<strong>on</strong>necticut) and in L’Uni<strong>on</strong> Paisible 5 (<strong>on</strong>e of the<br />
seven works which Lépicié exhibited at the 1777<br />
Sal<strong>on</strong>). Like him, the figure in the present study<br />
is robust and exu<strong>de</strong>s remarkable physical energy.<br />
His high forehead, with slightly receding hairline,<br />
accentuates his intelligent countenance, just like the<br />
positi<strong>on</strong> of his str<strong>on</strong>g hands reinforces his vigorous<br />
look. His facial expressi<strong>on</strong> is more neutral but he<br />
also seems to be drawn from life in a particularly<br />
natural attitu<strong>de</strong>, discretely pointing at something to<br />
an interlocutor whom we cannot see. Their physical<br />
resemblance suggests that this pers<strong>on</strong> could be a<br />
mo<strong>de</strong>l who usually posed for the artist.<br />
It is evi<strong>de</strong>nt that Lépicié was influenced by Greuze.<br />
Like him, Lépicié skilfully transports the viewer<br />
into the picture using the gestures of his figures<br />
and sp<strong>on</strong>taneity of their expressi<strong>on</strong>s. It is during the<br />
stage of drawn studies that he can <strong>de</strong>epen his search<br />
for realism and sharpen his observati<strong>on</strong> skills, in<br />
or<strong>de</strong>r to work <strong>on</strong> faces, poses and expressi<strong>on</strong>s, as<br />
brilliantly evi<strong>de</strong>nced in this spectacular drawing.<br />
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