Noël-Nicolas Coypel
(Paris, 1690 - 1734)

Noël-Nicolas Coypel's The Infant Bacchus Entrusted to the Nymphs of Nysa ranks among the most important rediscoveries in French eighteenth-century painting of recent years. Previously unpublished and identified by Dr François Marandet, the canvas constitutes a major addition to the remarkably rare oeuvre of the artist, whose catalogue has remained virtually unchanged since Jérôme Delaplanche's landmark monograph published over twenty years ago. Executed around the time of Coypel's reception into the Académie Royale in 1716, the painting captures the young master at a decisive moment in his career, when the grand tradition of French decorative painting was being reinvigorated through a profound engagement with Rubens. Combining graceful classicism, luminous colour and an ambitious mythological conception, the composition also raises the intriguing possibility that it once formed part of a much larger decorative ensemble. Both a striking work of art and a rediscovered milestone in the career of one of the most gifted members of the celebrated Coypel dynasty, this painting offers collectors a rare opportunity to acquire a work of exceptional historical importance and undeniable visual appeal.