Fragonard's Libertine Masterpiece Estimated at €2.5M to Be Auctioned in Paris

Jean-Honoré Fragonard's painting 'L’Instant désiré' (The Desired Moment), also known as 'Les Amants heureux' (The Happy Lovers), will be sold at Christie's Paris on September 23. The oil on canvas, measuring 49.5 x 60.5 cm, carries an estimate of around €2.5 million. The work is part of the prestigious collection of Graziella Patiño de Ortiz Linares, which is being dispersed by Christie's. The collection, housed in her Parisian mansion at 34, avenue Foch, is considered one of the most remarkable ever devoted to decorative arts and old master paintings. It includes works by Le Nain, Watteau, Greuze, Fragonard, and Hubert Robert, as well as furniture by Boulle and Cressent, and exquisite French royal silver. The painting depicts a moment of amorous ecstasy, a theme typical of the libertine spirit of the 18th century, and is noted for its luminous quality. Fragonard, born in 1732 in Grasse, was favored by Louis XV for his virtuoso brushwork. This work is one of the few museum-quality Fragonards remaining in private hands, comparable to 'The Swing' at the Wallace Collection in London and 'The Bolt' at the Louvre. The sale also includes Jean-Antoine Watteau's 'L’Île enchantée', estimated at around €8 million. Writer Sophie Chauveau praised the painting, noting its intense portrayal of passion and its ability to convey monumental scale in a small format. The auction will take place at Christie's, 9, avenue Matignon, 75008 Paris.