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Madame Hessel lisant le journal le soir
Details
Édouard Vuillard (1868-1940)
Madame Hessel lisant le journal le soir
signé 'E Vuillard' (en bas à droite)
peinture à l'essence sur papier marouflé sur toile
92 x 66.6 cm.
Peint vers 1915-16
signed 'E Vuillard' (lower right)
peinture à l'essence on paper laid down on canvas
36 ¼ x 26 ¼ in.
Painted circa 1915-16
Madame Hessel lisant le journal le soir
signé 'E Vuillard' (en bas à droite)
peinture à l'essence sur papier marouflé sur toile
92 x 66.6 cm.
Peint vers 1915-16
signed 'E Vuillard' (lower right)
peinture à l'essence on paper laid down on canvas
36 ¼ x 26 ¼ in.
Painted circa 1915-16
Provenance
Jos et Lucy Hessel, Paris (acquis auprès de l’artiste)
Lucie Grandjean-Hessel, Paris (par descendance).
Puis par descendance au propriétaire actuel.
Lucie Grandjean-Hessel, Paris (par descendance).
Puis par descendance au propriétaire actuel.
Literature
T. Bernard, 'Jos Hessel' in La Renaissance de l'Art, XIIIe année, no. 1, Paris, janvier 1930, p. 21 (illustré).
A. Salomon et G. Cogeval, Vuillard, Le regard innombrable, Catalogue critique des peintures et pastels, Paris, 2003, vol. III, p. 1269, no. X-199 (illustré).
A. Salomon et G. Cogeval, Vuillard, Le regard innombrable, Catalogue critique des peintures et pastels, Paris, 2003, vol. III, p. 1269, no. X-199 (illustré).
Exhibited
Zurich, Kunsthaus, Pierre Bonnard, Édouard Vuillard, mai-juillet 1932, no. 164 (illustré).
Londres, Arthur Tooth & Sons, Paintings and Pastels by E. Vuillard, juin 1934, no. 8 (titré 'Le petit salon').
Namur, Musée des Beaux-Arts, L'art français contemporain, juillet-août 1939, p. 23, no. 52 (titré 'La Lecture').
Paris, Galerie des Beaux-Arts, L'Art contemporain, 1939, no. 71 (illustré).
Londres, Wildenstein Gallery, Édouard Vuillard, juin 1948, p. 13, no. 31 (titré 'Portrait of Madame Hessel' et erronément daté '1910').
Edimbourg, Royal Scottish Academy, Pierre Bonnard and Édouard Vuillard, aout-septembre 1948, no. 90.
Londres, Arthur Tooth & Sons, Paintings and Pastels by E. Vuillard, juin 1934, no. 8 (titré 'Le petit salon').
Namur, Musée des Beaux-Arts, L'art français contemporain, juillet-août 1939, p. 23, no. 52 (titré 'La Lecture').
Paris, Galerie des Beaux-Arts, L'Art contemporain, 1939, no. 71 (illustré).
Londres, Wildenstein Gallery, Édouard Vuillard, juin 1948, p. 13, no. 31 (titré 'Portrait of Madame Hessel' et erronément daté '1910').
Edimbourg, Royal Scottish Academy, Pierre Bonnard and Édouard Vuillard, aout-septembre 1948, no. 90.
Special Notice
ƒ: In addition to the regular Buyer’s premium, a commission of 5.5%
inclusive of VAT of the hammer price will be charged to the buyer.
It will be refunded to the Buyer upon proof of export of the lot
outside the European Union within the legal time limit.
(Please refer to section VAT refunds)
Further Details
Avec son cadrage resserré qui coupe en partie le journal que Lucy Hessel parcourt, tout comme les tableaux vus de manière fragmentaire, ce portrait a tous les atours d’une scène de genre prise sur le vif, d’un instantané photographique. Même le modèle semble ne pas s’apercevoir de la présence du peintre; mais Vuillard, qui maniait son Kodak quasiment quotidiennement, ne laisse rien au hasard; ses intérieurs, comme ses portraits, sont savamment construits. Il fit d’ailleurs la même année une autre version de notre tableau mais en une gamme de tons légèrement différente. Les lignes imaginaires, horizontales et verticales, suggérées par les cadres des tableaux, ainsi que les boiseries et la cheminée, structurent l’espace traité en un camaïeu de beiges. Ce dégradé de tons est réveillé par les notes chaudes du corsage pourpre, des fleurs et des motifs du paravent à fleurs qui apparaît au fond à droite. À l’exemple de Degas qui affectionnait également de travailler de mémoire, Vuillard offre au spectateur une échappée visuelle par le truchement du miroir dans lequel se reflète deux fois le plafonnier. L’on songe aux architectures complexes dans lesquelles Degas s’inspirait tout autant du japonisme que de l’art ancien. Vuillard orchestre ensuite, presque musicalement, les sources lumineuses, dont certaines demeurent cachées, comme celle qui éclaire le bras gauche de Lucy Hessel. Ce motif sera repris par Vuillard en 1917 dans un tableau, dont le point de vue plus éloigné atténue l’effet de «spontanéité malicieusement calculée» qui fait toute la richesse de notre composition.
With the tight framing which crops out part of Lucy Hessel’s newspaper, and the only partially visible paintings, this portrait has all the accoutrements of an un-posed scene from real life, a snapshot. Even the model seems unaware of the painter’s presence. In truth, however, Vuillard, who was almost never without his Kodak, left nothing to chance and his interiors, like his portraits, were cleverly constructed. He actually produced another version of this scene during the same year, but in a slightly different tonal range. The space, which is rendered in shades of beige, is structured by imaginary horizontal and vertical lines suggested by the picture frames, woodwork and fireplace. The colour spectrum is livened up by the warm notes of the crimson blouse, the flowers and the pattern of the floral screen which is visible to the right, at the back bring more brightness to the colour spectrum. Like Degas, who was also fond of working from memory, Vuillard offers the viewer a visual escape, through the mirror in which the ceiling light is reflected twice. One is reminded of the complex structures for which Degas drew inspiration from Japonism and ancient art in equal measure. Then there are the light sources, which Vuillard orchestrates with an almost musical touch. Some remain hidden from view, such as the one lighting Lucy Hessel’s left arm. Vuillard would revisit this motif in 1917, in a picture which is less tightly framed and which therefore has less of this “artfully calculated spontaneity” that makes our composition here so sumptuous.
Gilles Genty, historien de l’art / Art historian.
With the tight framing which crops out part of Lucy Hessel’s newspaper, and the only partially visible paintings, this portrait has all the accoutrements of an un-posed scene from real life, a snapshot. Even the model seems unaware of the painter’s presence. In truth, however, Vuillard, who was almost never without his Kodak, left nothing to chance and his interiors, like his portraits, were cleverly constructed. He actually produced another version of this scene during the same year, but in a slightly different tonal range. The space, which is rendered in shades of beige, is structured by imaginary horizontal and vertical lines suggested by the picture frames, woodwork and fireplace. The colour spectrum is livened up by the warm notes of the crimson blouse, the flowers and the pattern of the floral screen which is visible to the right, at the back bring more brightness to the colour spectrum. Like Degas, who was also fond of working from memory, Vuillard offers the viewer a visual escape, through the mirror in which the ceiling light is reflected twice. One is reminded of the complex structures for which Degas drew inspiration from Japonism and ancient art in equal measure. Then there are the light sources, which Vuillard orchestrates with an almost musical touch. Some remain hidden from view, such as the one lighting Lucy Hessel’s left arm. Vuillard would revisit this motif in 1917, in a picture which is less tightly framed and which therefore has less of this “artfully calculated spontaneity” that makes our composition here so sumptuous.
Gilles Genty, historien de l’art / Art historian.
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