François Boucher (Paris 1703-1770)

A counterproof of lot 14 in the present sale.
A contre-épreuve, or counterproof, is made when a moistened sheet of paper is laid over a soft chalk drawing and sufficient pressure is applied to make the surface layer of chalk imprint itself onto the clean sheet; naturally the original drawing is replicated, in reverse. A counterproof was sometimes made as a permanent record of drawings to be kept in the workshop, studied by its members and perhaps reemployed in a future project; another reason for making one was because the artist required a reverse image of the original study. Counterproofs also had the effect of stabilizing the chalk of the original drawing although also making it slightly paler. There was also a financial aspect as in the 18th Century counterproofs were almost as prized as the original drawings.
We thank Alastair Laing for his kind help in cataloguing this lot.