An oil on panel depicting the portrait of a young woman in bust, arms raised behind the head, in an attitude both free and introspective. The model, treated with gentleness and restraint, stands out against a dark ground animated with stylised coloured touches, bringing depth and vibration to the composition. The brushwork is fine and mastered, with delicately worked material. The composition is centred on the female figure, whose assertive pose contrasts with the melancholy expression of the face. Figurative work of the first half of the 20th century, at the crossroads of realism and a more modern sensibility. The whole exudes a strong and elegant presence. Signature lower right, partially legible, unidentified. Presented in its moulded wood frame with patinated green and gilt decoration.
A ceramic sculpture figuring a seated cat, treated in a stylised manner. The piece is covered with a deep brown glaze, animated with amber and ochre nuances. The surface presents chromatic variations. The modelling is fluid, highlighting the full volumes of the body and the softness of the dorsal line. Origin: Normandy region, probably Bavent.
A delightful 19th-century oil on canvas depicting a lyrical scene of nymphs dancing in a glade. This work is an accomplished reinterpretation of the celebrated composition by Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot, “Une matinée, la danse des nymphes” (1850). Far from being a mere copy, this cabinet painting offers a personal and luminous variation on the original masterpiece. The artist asserts his own sensibility through a livelier palette in the draperies and a treatment of the backlit foliage of great poetic quality, characteristic of the influence of the École de Barbizon. The light filtering through the canopy iridesces the circle of figures with a remarkable mastery of the vaporous atmosphere. It is a work of great softness, bearing witness to the 19th-century aristocracy’s taste for mythological and pastoral themes. The work is in an excellent state of preservation. Sound canvas, original stretcher. Frame in wood and gilded stucco with fluted decoration.
Fine gouache attributed to Louis Gadbois (work authenticated by an expert), dating from the late 18th / early 19th century, depicting a landscape of the Italian countryside enlivened by washerwomen, in a balanced and luminous composition. In the foreground, several female figures are busy washing linen at the edge of a watering place, while the landscape opens gradually onto a rolling distance, punctuated by slender trees and gentle reliefs. The scene is bathed in a clear and atmospheric light, typical of the idealised views of Italy favoured by artists of the late 18th century. The palette, refined and harmonious, blends soft greens, delicate blues and warm ochres. The treatment of the landscape, the aerial depth and the delicacy of the figures are fully in keeping with the tradition of Italian-inspired genre scenes and animated landscapes of the Neoclassical period. Good overall condition.
Artistic elegance for this cement deer, patinated by time, on its plinth. This unique piece of folk art dating from the 1960s lends a poetic atmosphere to your garden or interior.
A sparkling and luminous watercolour heightened with ink and touches of gouache, entitled Le Marché aux fleurs, executed by the artist Thérèse Hummel (1896-1967).
The scene transports us to the heart of a bustling Parisian flower market (evoking the banks of the Seine, with the bridge and the towers of the Conciergerie silhouetted in the background). Beneath covered arbours, a profusion of pots, bouquets and floral arrangements bursts forth in strokes of vivid colour: poppy orange, soft pink, pure white and deep greens.
Amid this floral setting, several figures go about their business: a florist in an apron advises an elegant lady in a pink dress, other strollers choose their bouquets, while a dapper gentleman in a dark suit and hat walks away in the centre, a generous bouquet tucked under his arm. The composition is crowned by a poetic sky tinted with pink, flown over by small cottony clouds. Here Thérèse Hummel deploys all the freshness of her palette and the graphic freedom so characteristic of her œuvre.
Biography / About the artist
Thérèse HUMMEL (1896-1967)
An intimate figure of the Parisian artistic circles of the first half of the 20th century, Thérèse Hummel belongs to that generation of independent female artists who moved at the heart of modernity.
Close to the great names of the avant-garde of Montparnasse and Montmartre, she shared particularly close bonds of friendship with Jeanne Hébuterne, Amedeo Modigliani and Pablo Picasso. Immersed in this exceptional creative effervescence, her work is characterised by a remarkable plastic freedom, combining the poetry of everyday life, a simplification of forms and expressive use of colour.
Her works, sought-after and rare on the market, constitute a precious testimony to the creative spirit of the École de Paris.
The work benefits from a bespoke museum-quality framing: anti-reflective glass with UV filtration.
Charming and luminous watercolour entitled Les amoureux, place de la Comédie, executed by the artist Thérèse Hummel (1896-1967).
The artist deploys here a synthetic and strikingly modern graphic style, playing elegantly on a contrasted and masterfully controlled chromatic palette: the verdant green of the foliage and architectural elements answers the vibrant red-orange of the figures and stylised street lamps.
In the foreground, a group of pigeons pecks about the square, lending a lively and poetic dynamism to the scene. In the background, the pair of lovers strolls near the fountain and the lamp posts, before the imposing Parisian façades. The precision of the line combined with the lightness of the washes bears witness to the artist’s great plastic mastery.
An intimate figure of the Parisian artistic circles of the first half of the 20th century, Thérèse Hummel belonged to that generation of independent female artists who evolved at the very heart of modernity.
Close to the leading figures of the Montparnasse and Montmartre avant-garde, she shared privileged bonds of friendship with Jeanne Hébuterne, Amedeo Modigliani and Pablo Picasso. Immersed in this exceptional creative effervescence, her œuvre is characterised by a remarkable plastic freedom, combining the poetry of the everyday, a simplification of forms and expressive use of colour.
Museum-quality framing custom-made by a leading Parisian atelier: anti-reflective, UV-filtering glass.
Original colour print by Leonor Fini, signed by hand in pencil by the artist in the lower right, accompanied by the handwritten dedication “Pour Serge”. The work is unnumbered, which is common for artist’s proofs or personal gifts made by Leonor Fini in the 1960s–70s. This composition depicts two female figures in a dreamlike, soft and mysterious atmosphere, characteristic of the artist’s symbolic universe. The figures are crowned with a turban in an atmosphere of reverie. This theme of feminine duality, sorority or identity recurs throughout Leonor Fini’s oeuvre. This impression on wove paper, bearing a dedication, lends the work an intimate character. Presented in a moulded wooden frame under glass with a beige mount. Very fine overall condition. 20th century
A most lively and poetic watercolour entitled La Place des Vosges, executed by the artist Thérèse Hummel (1896-1967).
In this balanced composition, the artist captures the joyful atmosphere of the famous Parisian square. One recognises the emblematic 17th-century architecture, with its pink brickwork and verdant slate roofs, bordering the central garden structured around its monumental fountain and lime-tree walks.
In the foreground, children play ball, stroll and amuse themselves near the pond, watched over by elegant figures seated on the square’s benches. Thérèse Hummel employs a fresh and rhythmic palette, dominated by the deep green of the vegetation and the ochre pink of the façades and pathways, enhanced by small white dots suggesting gravel or light. The spontaneity of the ink line blends perfectly with the delicacy of the watercolour washes.
An intimate figure of Parisian artistic circles in the first half of the 20th century, Thérèse Hummel belongs to that generation of independent female artists who evolved at the heart of modernity.
Close to the great names of the Montparnasse and Montmartre avant-garde, she shared privileged bonds of friendship with Jeanne Hébuterne, Amedeo Modigliani and Pablo Picasso. Immersed in this exceptional creative effervescence, her œuvre is characterised by a remarkable plastic freedom, combining the poetry of the everyday, a simplification of forms and expressivity of colour.
Her works, sought-after and rare on the market, constitute a precious testimony to the creative spirit of the École de Paris.
The work benefits from a high-end presentation with a bespoke museum-grade conservation frame:
Museum-quality glass: anti-reflective and UV filtering.
Fine art framing: executed by a leading Parisian atelier.
Signed lower left.
A handsome wax bust depicting Anne Andéoud, after Jean-Antoine Houdon, 20th century. Wood-veneered plinth.
A very large format oil on canvas laid down on panel depicting a charming pastoral scene, a moment of dance and music, in the spirit of the 18th century.
Two charming black-patinated bronze busts after the Antique, late 19th century, depicting a couple with wreaths of ivy and grapes. The wooden plinths are later additions.