Simpol

Born into a family of Burgundian craftsmen, Claude Simpol turned to painting. During his time as a student of Louis de Boullogne le jeune (1649-1717), he twice tried his hand at the Grand Prix de l’Académie royale in 1683 and 1687 but his second prize did not award him the sought-after period of study in Rome. In 1701, he was agréé into the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture with his sketch for Neptune’s Dispute with Minerva, or the Naming of the City of Athens, but he did not manage to complete his reception work and finally lost his member status in March 1709.¹ Simpol was active, however, working at Versaille and painting three pictures for the Menagerie² and other works depicting country entertainments, published in 2012 by François Marandet.³ Also in 1703, Paris’ goldsmiths commissioned Simpol to paint a may for the cathedral, Christ in the House of Martha and Mary (Musée des Beaux-Arts, Arras). Like Saint Roch and the Angel (Saint Nicolas des Champs), this work is characterised by its clarity of composition and sober palette, inspired by artists such as Eustache Le Sueur, Laurent de La Hyre and Philippe de Champaigne. Marandet has drawn attention to Simpol’s links with the world of musicians through his wife, Hélène Denis, daughter of the harpsichord maker and organist Louis Denis (1635-1718), and also to his influence on Watteau.

Simpol is best known today for his drawings, many of which were produced for the publisher Jean Mariette and most of them made in preparation for devotional engravings or fashion and pastoral scenes. Examples include the 55 drawings in what is known as the Elye Album that belongs to the Louvre⁴ or his series of Divertissements et occupations de la campagne (Countryside Entertainments and Occupations), which he produced in the early 1690s for Jean Mariette, intended for transcription into sixteen engravings that were attributed to Jacques Stella until their publication by Jamie Mulherron. The Metropolitan owns four drawings from a series called Différents sujets (Different Subjects), in which he draws contemporary figures, musicians, players, smokers, horsemen, etc., in a style reminiscent of that of his peer, the engraver and draughtsman Bernard Picart (1673-1736), though the latter’s graphic style was different – drier, more precise and shaped by his profession as an engraver.

This drawing is totally characteristic of Simpol. It can be recognised through its rich use of material – a mixture of grey and white gouache on bright beige backgrounds – sometimes almost an orange-yellow. The subject depicted is probably that of the Holy Family’s return from Egypt, a journey that takes place during Christ’s infancy. After Herod’s death, Joseph wanted to bring his family back to Judea, but had to settle in Nazareth in Galilee out of fear of Herod’s successor, Arkelaus. This episode is summed up by one line in the Gospel according to Saint Matthew (II, 21): « Joseph arose and taking the child and his mother, entered the land of Israel ». It could also refer to the return from the temple (Luke, II, 48-52), the episode that follows that of Jesus among the doctors, but the Christ, then aged twelve, should normally look older.

The natural environment and Jesus’ very childlike appearance therefore draw us rather towards the first subject, which encourages intimate devotion by presenting Mary and Joseph as attentive parents and Jesus as the divine child they were given to take care of. Their expression is tender yet serious and melancholy as if anticipating the suffering to come. Christ’s outstretched arms foreshadow the cross while with his right hand, he sketches the sign of blessing, index and middle fingers extended, ring and little fingers folded. The beauty and expressiveness of the figures, the elegance of the Virgin’s profile and drapery and the subtlety of emotions make this work a particularly touching example within Simpol’s œuvre.