de Ridder, André — J.B. S. Chardin

Paris, France, Floury, 1932. Hardcover. Green boards with gilt text on spine. 89 pp. XCVI bw plates. text in French. "Among Chardin's works, there are none more expensive than the pastels of his old age. With a tired look and trembling fingers, struck with despair, Chardin had to interrupt his work as an oil painter. Until the day he discovered the resources that can be, for a failing hand, in the tender paste of the pastel. He then went back to work with fervor. A new youth had begun for this septuagenarian. After being devoted to monotonous rehearsals, he regenerated his art at the same time. He had never been a great portraitist; he became one in his last days, the pastel stick in hand. Let's visit the pastel room at the Louvre, where the masterpieces of La Tour, Perronneau, Ducreux, Rosa Alba are exhibited, and it will be the three Chardin boards that will keep us the longest. Doing it is of the greatest boldness, clear, precise. The nerve line scratches the paper, gives the head an amazing firmness, relief, expressiveness. By the division of the tones, each touch remaining apparent, by the analysis of the nuances, grouped at the same time as decomposed, the model acquires a singular strength, the color an unparalleled finesse, the light a limpidity of sunset." - translated from introduction. VG- endpages with some writing, edge of one illustrated title page is taped, remainder is excellent .