Henri de Saint-Delis (1878-1949) — Nature Morte au samovar — École de Rouen

A luminous oil on heavy card (historic Canson & Montgolfier support) depicting an intimate studio scene: a table laid for tea with its samovar, ceramic cups and a box of matches.

The work bears witness to the superb technical mastery of Henri de Saint-Delis, an emblematic figure of the École de Rouen and of Honfleur. The artist deploys a modern touch, generous in impasto, inherited both from Norman Impressionism and from the chromatic freedom of Fauvism. The white cloth, sculpted by light, shimmers with bluish and mauve reflections characteristic of his finest manner. The impasted, vibrant brushwork and the chromatic range of ochres, blues and powdery pinks are typical of the artist’s style, having trained in Le Havre alongside Othon Friesz, Raoul Dufy and Georges Braque, before settling permanently in Honfleur where he would paint the greater part of his œuvre.

Signed lower.
Work authenticated by the Cabinet Marc Ottavi, Paris (approved C.V.V. expert, specialising in nineteenth- and twentieth-century paintings).

Support: The reverse bears its original label from the manufacturer Canson & Montgolfier (No. 347, moiré grain), a precious mark of the period.

Framing: Presented in a period-style moulded and gilded wooden frame, enhanced by an elegant burgundy velvet Marie-Louise which perfectly underscores the warm tones of the background.

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