The French state has preempted four drawings by Jean-Michel Moreau le Jeune at a Christie's Paris auction, securing them for the Palace of Versailles. The works, sold in two lots, depict the festivities in Paris following the birth of the Dauphin Louis Joseph in autumn 1781, including the arrival of the Queen at the Hôtel de Ville and a fireworks display. The drawings were commissioned by the City of Paris and were intended to be engraved, marking a high point of public commissions under the ancien régime. The preemption was made possible through the support of the Friends of the Louvre, echoing a similar acquisition of Hubert Robert works from the same Veil-Picard sale.
This acquisition matters because it brings to Versailles a set of historically significant works that capture both the splendor and the twilight of the French monarchy. The drawings are not only masterpieces of draftsmanship and printmaking but also document the lavish celebrations that, in their excess, helped fuel the discontent leading to the French Revolution. By securing these pieces, Versailles enriches its collection with key visual records of royal pageantry, while the preemption strategy—using private support via the Friends of the Louvre—highlights the ongoing reliance on philanthropic partnerships to preserve national heritage in the face of competitive auctions.