Watch List notes:

FRANCE. Constitution Period. Augustin Dupré. Sketch for "l'univers entendra sa voix" [the universe shall hear her voice]. ND (ca. 1792). EXTREMELY FINE. Slightly stained and lightly creased in one corner.
Pencil on blank, light cream-colored paper, with a figure of Victory, winged and seminude, standing atop the globe, with crown toppled and scepter broken at her feet; she stands slightly right, holding double tablet and looks left, blowing into trumpet. Outside of the concentric ringed border is the French "l'univers entendra sa voix" inked in script, meaning "the universe shall hear her voice." At the bottom is the Latin "Donec totum impleat orbem" written in pencil, meaning "till he replenish the whole world." To lower left, stamped with "A. Dupré fecit" in imitation of the elder Dupré's signature; to lower right, stamped with "ND" (for Narcisse Dupré), each in blue ink.

Quite well done for what seems to be a prototypical sketch, this piece is on fairly clean and well preserved paper, with a stain noted near the lower left stamp and just a few light spots otherwise in places. A minor edge fold is noted at the upper left corner. Despite not pertaining specifically to any of Dupré's works, it does share a great deal in over feel to his 1792/3 medallic work for a the Republic of France following the French Revolution. On that piece, Victory is posed similarly, though the crown and scepter are not at her feet, and in place of the double tablet and trumpet she instead holds a wreath and a liberty cap on a pole. A great piece for the collector of French or early American medallic issues, given Dupré's crossover appeal. Just the fourth piece of Dupré's art that we have had the privilege of offering.

Estimate: $150 - $300