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 tablecloth, sculpted by the light, vibrates with bluish and mauve reflections characteristic of his finest manner. The impasted and vibrant brushwork, the chromatic range of ochres, blues and powdery pinks, are characteristic of the manner of the artist, trained in Le Havre alongside Othon Friesz, Raoul Dufy and Georges Braque, before settling definitively 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, specialist in nineteenth- and twentieth-century paintings).

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

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

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