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Lot Essay
This delicate drawing by Bernard Boutet de Monvel was likely produced to illustrate an article by Roger Boutet de Monvel (1879-1951) titled "The Charm that Captivates the Hearts of women" published on 15th June 1920, in the first issue of the French edition of Vogue. Drawn with a pencil, ruler and compass, the work still manages to capture the features, silhouette and distinct appearance of the artist (as evidenced by a photograph taken of the painter in his Paris studio that same year). On his arm with her signature hairstyle is his young fiancée, Delfina Edward-Bello (1896-1974), a Chilean heiress whom he would marry the following year.
Here the artist imagines himself strolling romantically arm-in-arm with his future wife in what is ultimately a self-portrait. The chic and elegant couple walk directly toward the viewer, Monvel holding a cane and Delfine delicately holding a single rose; a symbol of their love. Whimsically, Monvel has deftly left the rose in pencil outline, contrasting it with the ink used to delineate the couple and thus highlighting it in the composition. A study of the couple's interwined hands in reverse remains in the far-left of the sheet, showing Monvel's deliberation in perfecting the element that unifies the couple’s pose.
Bernard Boutet de Monvel is arguably the greatest society portrait painter and fashion illustrator of the 20th century. Born and raised in Paris, he had a unique and very distinct approach to capturing the world around him. His quintessential art deco style gained him an international reputation and saw him spend prolonged periods in the United States, as well as his illustrations featuring in major publications of the day such as Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar.
Here the artist imagines himself strolling romantically arm-in-arm with his future wife in what is ultimately a self-portrait. The chic and elegant couple walk directly toward the viewer, Monvel holding a cane and Delfine delicately holding a single rose; a symbol of their love. Whimsically, Monvel has deftly left the rose in pencil outline, contrasting it with the ink used to delineate the couple and thus highlighting it in the composition. A study of the couple's interwined hands in reverse remains in the far-left of the sheet, showing Monvel's deliberation in perfecting the element that unifies the couple’s pose.
Bernard Boutet de Monvel is arguably the greatest society portrait painter and fashion illustrator of the 20th century. Born and raised in Paris, he had a unique and very distinct approach to capturing the world around him. His quintessential art deco style gained him an international reputation and saw him spend prolonged periods in the United States, as well as his illustrations featuring in major publications of the day such as Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar.