This double-page sketch from a notebook by Eugène Carrière brings together two distinct yet potentially related studies. On the upper sheet, a scene rendered in brown ink wash is accompanied by the inscription “Sapho”, which evokes the novel Sapho written by Carrière’s close friend, Alphonse Daudet. The wash drawing may represent a key passage in the novel, in which Daudet describes how the young Jean Gaussin, aspiring to become a consul, looks curiously at his lover, Fanny Legrand, who “fell asleep beneath the night lamp, with an open book resting on the sheet before her”.

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On the lower sheet, a study of a standing female nude echoes a composition known from one of Carrière’s oil paintings, indicating that the drawing may have served as a preparatory exploration.

 

The sheet likely dates to around 1887, years during which the artist produced several studies of the female nude.

Carrière’s ink washes – reminiscent of those of Auguste Rodin – are relatively rare and remain less well known within his œuvre (fig. 1). This sheet stands out for its graphic strength and the artist’s mastery of the wash technique, revealing a confident handling of tonal contrasts and fluid transitions. Two sketches of a baby in pencil appear on the verso, a motif that is characteristic of Carrière’s work and reflects his enduring interest in childhood and maternal themes.

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