French school of the 18th century
Saint Giles the Hermit
Red chalk.
218 x 172 mm – 8 9/16 x 6 3/4 in.
Pasted on an old mount.
Annotated on the reverse in ink painted in a chapel – of the abbaÿe St Germain – J Jouvenet invt De » and pencil 395/30.
This drawing represents, in the foreground, a man sitting at the foot of a tree, dressed in a long tunic, his right hand pierced with an arrow, his eyes directed towards the sky. At his feet, a lying doe observes him tenderly. On the left, in the background, is a man on horseback with a bow and another on foot holding a scythe. According to a hagiographic legend from the 10th century, this scene illustrates an episode in the life of Gilles the hermit (640-720). While he meditates in the middle of nature in a forest near Nîmes, a doe, pursued by King Wamba’s hunters, lies down at his feet. A hunter’s arrow aimed at the animal then pierces the saint’s hand. To apologize, King Wanba had the abbey of Saint-Gilles-du-Gard built.
Condition report: Perfect state of conservation.
