18th Century French School, Circle Of Bernard Lépicié (1735–1784) Young Girl With A Basket

French School, 18th century, circle of BernardLépicié (1735–1784)
Young Girl with a Basket

Black chalk with white highlights on blue paper(laid down)
Old attribution to Lépicié inscribed on the verso of the previous mount.

36.5 x 27 cm

Provenance:
Private collection

This drawing, attributed to Bernard Lépicié,delicately reflects the understated elegance of 18th-century French art. Theson of the engraver François-Bernard Lépicié, Bernard appears to have beeninfluenced by painters such as François Boucher and Jean-Baptiste Greuze, bothrenowned for their tender and emotive scenes.

Young Girl with a Basket captures a moment of daily life with greatfinesse. The use of black chalk heightened with white brings relief and depth,while the blue paper — much prized in the 18th century — enhances the luminousharmony of the composition.

The girl’s slightly inclined posture anddownward gaze suggest modesty, perhaps even a natural grace. The attention todetail in her hair, dress, and basket reveals the draughtsman's skill inrendering textures and movement.

In spirit, this drawing is close to the works ofJean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin, evoking the century’s fondness for simple,intimate scenes executed with both precision and sensitivity.