- More
ADOLPHE JOSEPH THOMAS MONTICELLI (French, 1824-1886). Les dames de la Reine, circa 1865. Oil on canvas. 25-1/2 x 21 inch...
Click the image to load the highest resolution version.
Description
ADOLPHE JOSEPH THOMAS MONTICELLI (French, 1824-1886)Les dames de la Reine, circa 1865
Oil on canvas
25-1/2 x 21 inches (64.8 x 53.3 cm)
Signed lower right: Monticelli
PROVENANCE:
Doyle, New York, European Paintings & Sculpture, November 2, 1998, lot 30.
EXHIBITED:
Parrish Art Museum, Southampton, New York, William Merritt Chase in the Company of Friends, May 13, 1979-July 29, 1979 (label verso).
This lot is accompanied by a letter of authenticity from Dr. Aaron Sheon, who has graciously provided the following description of the painting:
The painting is an important and quite rare image from his career in Paris, around 1865. I am sure the title goes back to that period of the Second Empire, when Monticelli and his dealer in Montmartre, Delarebeyrette, sold works connected to the new Empress of Napoleon III, Eugenie. Monticelli was about 40 years old and had steady sales of Rococo inspired paintings of women in costumes sitting in parks, often with fountains or walls. There is usually not narrative. The figures seem to live in moments of pleasure and beauty, often in courtship with handsome costumed suitors.
In my book and exhibition catalogue, Monticelli, His Friends, His Influence, Pittsburgh, 1978-9, I wrote extensively about the 1860s when Monticelli imagined life at the Court of the Second Empire, as a renewed Fête Galante moment in French history. Monticelli may have sold works to the Empress or to members of the court. One photograph taken in the studio of Léon Chave, a boyhood friend of Monticelli, shows a large imaginary picture of Monticelli walking with the Empress in a garden. My book also contains figures 34-37, all of which reflect the fête galante subjects and the admiration of the court of the Empress. One Paris art gallery, Jane Roberts Fine Arts, recently discovered a painting by Monticelli showing the Empress at her Château of Saint-Cloud, which may have been done to sell to the Empress.
During this period around 1865, Monticelli often painted light reflecting from sun-lit objects. In the painting Les dames de la Reine, the garments of the woman on the left seem to be floating free of the woman and being highlighted on the surface. The column between the two women on the right also is apparently exaggeratedly bright. Monticelli seemed to be aware of how Monet in the early and mid-1860s showed bright sky reflections on the clothes of figures. I am thinking of Monet's Women in the Garden and his fragment of Déjeuner sur l'herbe, showing a man with a strong blue reflection on his dark suit.
The brushwork, subject, faces, costumes and pose leave no doubt that this is one of Monticelli's works from the 1860s, possibly about 1865. The work may be the most interesting of the fête galante and Empress Eugenie context works. I consider this work one of the most important of Monticelli's early Paris period in the 1860s.
Auction Info
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
25% on the first $50,000 (minimum $14), plus 20% of any amount between $50,000 and $1,000,000, plus 12% of any amount over $1,000,000 per lot.
This item cannot be shipped using standard methods. Please contact us for more information. Sales Tax information
Terms and Conditions | Bidding Guidelines and Bid Increments | Glossary of Terms
Floor auctions
Open for bidding: (View All)Currency
Ends on 04/21/2021
Fine Art
Ends on 04/21/2021
US Coins
Ends on 04/22/2021
Fine Art
Ends on 04/22/2021
US Coins
Ends on 04/22/2021
World & Ancient Coins
Ends on 04/25/2021
Decorative Art
Ends on 04/27/2021
Decorative Art
Ends on 04/29/2021
Currency
Ends on 04/30/2021
Illustration Art
Ends on 04/30/2021
Entertainment
Ends on 05/01/2021
Luxury Accessories
Ends on 05/02/2021
Jewelry & Timepieces
Ends on 05/03/2021
Fine Art
Ends on 05/05/2021
World & Ancient Coins
Ends on 05/06/2021
Sports Collectibles
Ends on 05/06/2021
Fine Art
Ends on 05/07/2021
US Coins
Ends on 05/08/2021
Fine Art
Ends on 05/13/2021
US Coins
Ends on 05/15/2021
World & Ancient Coins
Ends on 05/16/2021
Currency
Ends on 05/16/2021
Photography
Opens about 04/21/2021
Decorative Art
Opens about 04/23/2021
Historical
Opens about 04/26/2021
Manuscripts
Opens about 04/30/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 04/28/2021
Silver
Opens about 04/29/2021
Comics & Comic Art
Opens about 04/22/2021
Space
Opens about 05/03/2021
Western & Texas Art
Opens about 04/30/2021
Historical
Opens about 05/03/2021
US Coins
Opens about 04/22/2021
Currency
Opens about 04/23/2021
Decorative Art
Opens about 05/04/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 05/05/2021
US Coins
Opens about 04/29/2021
US Coins
Opens about 04/29/2021
Jewelry & Timepieces
Opens about 05/03/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 05/12/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 05/14/2021
Jewelry & Timepieces
Opens about 05/21/2021
Entertainment
Opens about 05/17/2021
Arms & Armor
Opens about 05/18/2021
US Coins
Opens about 05/08/2021
Rare Books
Opens about 05/21/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 05/19/2021
Photography
Opens about 05/19/2021
Decorative Art
Opens about 05/20/2021
US Coins
Opens about 05/15/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 05/26/2021
Comics & Comic Art
Opens about 05/28/2021
Nature & Science
Opens about 05/27/2021
Decorative Art
Opens about 05/28/2021
Western & Texas Art
Opens about 05/28/2021
Historical
Opens about 06/01/2021
Heritage membership
- Past Auction Values (prices, photos, full descriptions, etc.)
- Bid online
- Free Collector newsletter
- Want List with instant e-mail notifications
- Reduced auction commissions when you resell your
winnings
- Cash Advances
- More Bidders
- Trusted Experts
- Over 200,000 Satisfied Consignors Since 1976
Learn about consigning with us
Ms. Sullivan proved knowledgeable, diligent and efficient in selecting items viable for the American Indian & Pre-Columbian Art AuctionView More Testimonials
HA.com receives more traffic than any other auction house website. (Source: Similarweb.com)
Video tutorial
Getting the most out of search