The recent acquisition is an elaborate, detailed drawing in coloured chalk and pastel, measuring 59.8 by 37.6 cm, purchased at Colnaghi Elliott Master Drawings in London. The work dates from 1796, the year in which Duvivier — after a six-year stay in Italy —settled definitively in Paris.
Worldwide, Musea Brugge houses the largest number of works by Jean-Bernard Duvivier (Bruges 1762 - Paris 1837). Up until now, Musea Brugge had three paintings and eleven drawings by Duvivier in the collections. The masterly portrait of the Villers Family is on permanent display in the Groeningemuseum.
Duvivier has executed the drawing of the bearded man with the utmost care, mastery and attention to details in an accomplished technique. The subtle play of light on the frowning forehead and the curled hairs, the tactile rendering of the fuzzy beard and the nuances in the deep folds in the garment exhibit the exceptional drawing talent of this artist.
