Lot Essay
Alain Blondel has confirmed the authenticity of this painting.
This portrait may have been inspired by Agnolo Bronzino's (1503-1572) portrait of Lucrezia Panciatichi (coll. Uffizi Gallery, Florence), which Lempicka likely saw on her trip to Italy following World War II.
The first owner of this painting, Ira Perrot, was a close friend of the artist. Their relationship began in the early 1920s and lasted until Perrot's death in 1975. In addition to the 1930 painting Portrait d'Ira P. (Blondel, B.143; see sale, Christie's, New York, 19 November 1998, lot 352), Perrot had also posed for the 1922 painting Portrait d'une jeune femme en robe bleue (Blondel, B.7) and the 1923 paintings Femme à la robe noire (Blondel, B.31) and Sa tristesse (Blondel, B.30). Two preparatory studies from her estate (lots 141 and 142 from the Impressionist and Modern Works on Paper sale) may imply that she was also the model of the circa 1926 painting Femme allongée dans l'herbe (Blondel, B.75).
This portrait may have been inspired by Agnolo Bronzino's (1503-1572) portrait of Lucrezia Panciatichi (coll. Uffizi Gallery, Florence), which Lempicka likely saw on her trip to Italy following World War II.
The first owner of this painting, Ira Perrot, was a close friend of the artist. Their relationship began in the early 1920s and lasted until Perrot's death in 1975. In addition to the 1930 painting Portrait d'Ira P. (Blondel, B.143; see sale, Christie's, New York, 19 November 1998, lot 352), Perrot had also posed for the 1922 painting Portrait d'une jeune femme en robe bleue (Blondel, B.7) and the 1923 paintings Femme à la robe noire (Blondel, B.31) and Sa tristesse (Blondel, B.30). Two preparatory studies from her estate (lots 141 and 142 from the Impressionist and Modern Works on Paper sale) may imply that she was also the model of the circa 1926 painting Femme allongée dans l'herbe (Blondel, B.75).