Among the top lots at Christie’s (25/20/13.5% buyer’s premium) trio of Old Master sales during ‘Classic Week’ was a rediscovered oil sketch by Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825) for The Distribution of the Eagle Standards (above).
The c.1810 modello was completed for a commission by Napoleon, the finished version of which now resides at Versailles. It had been in a private French collection but resurfaced at a hotel auction in 2017. X-ray analysis of the picture has revealed stages of the artist’s process, including the reworking and removal of the figure of Josephine following the couple’s divorce, as well as the removal of a winged allegory of Victory swooping overheard.