Jean-Baptiste Le Prince (Metz 1734-1781 Seine-et-Marne)

Often remembered for his Russian connection, Le Prince was indeed among the many artists invited by Catherine the Great to come to Russia, where he stayed between 1758 and 1764. Several drawings made during this stay were engraved for Voyage en Sibérie by Jean Chappe d’Auteroche (published 1768), or for an overview of Northern costume, specifically the Divers habillements des femmes moscovites (1764-1774). The present sheet dates to these productive years. The turban, with the two ends hanging by the woman’s ears, is similar to one in a sanguine at the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Quimper (inv. 873-2-43; see Dessins français XVIIe-XVIIIe siècles. Florilège de la collection du Musée des Beaux-Arts de Quimper, exhib. cat., Quimper, Musée des Beaux-Arts, 1999, no. 49, ill.).