Estimated Price:

   £   

Realised Price:

   £   

What is this symbol? This symbol indicates that this auction hose has verified this price result.

Log in or subscribe to view price data

PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE COLLECTION

FRENCH, 1849 - 1936
LA BOULE DE VERRE

measurements
22 by 15 in.

alternate measurements
55.8 by 38.1 cm

signed Jean Béraud and dated 1875 (lower left)

oil on canvas

PROVENANCE

Private Collection, Grosse Pointe, Michigan (circa 1930s)
Thence by descent to the present owner

NOTE

In the years following his departure from Léon Bonnat's studio, Béraud experimented with the more daring techniques of the Impressionists. By 1875, the year of La Boule de Verre's execution, Béraud's palette had grown lighter, his brushwork finer, his drawing more supple yet precise, his compositions more carefully conceived (Patrick Offenstadt, Jean Béraud, 1849-1935, The Belle Époque: A Dream of Times Gone By, Paris, 1999, p. 8). This scene of a garden filled with sunlight, a beautifully dressed woman, and her faithful pet easily recalls the compositions of the Impressionist masters. Certainly the use of alternating brilliant light and deep shade, expressive touches of color, and rhythmic composition are characteristics found in Monet's Garden at Sainte-Andresse (1867, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York) and The Croquet Party (1873, The Staedel Museum, Frankfurt) by Manet, an artist Béraud particularly admired. Yet Béraud creates something new and distinct in La Boule de Verre, combining and experimenting with daring artistic elements to evoke a unique sense of realism. The balance of Impressionist leanings and personal vision is what makes the present work so exemplary in the artist's oeuvre; in fact, this may be the only known composition of its kind. The closest comparisons to the present work range from Young Girl with Japanese Parasol on the Banks of the Seine (Société des Amis arts de Charlieu) to Daydream with Figaro (Private Collection, Connecticut), which both present a young lady in an outdoor setting. Yet only La Boule de Verre employs bold blocks of contrasting light effects, a saturated color palette, a strong vertical format, and upwardly tilting perspective, allowing for a sweeping perspective over the central figure, the garden path, and up to the bright blue sky above dotted with clouds.

Perhaps the most familiar element in La Boule de Verre is the elegant young woman, who Béraud has dressed in the latest fashion of the day. However, unlike many of his contemporaries, such as Auguste Toulemouche or Alfred Stevens, who focused so intently on costume, Béraud does not seem as concerned with a detailed, stitch-by-stitch rendering of the dress as with a quintessential, overall impression of its elegance. In a series of loosely applied brushstrokes, the white tones of the fabric are mixed with soft grays, which contrast with the heavier blacks, creating a long, tight bodice molded over corset and slender skirt with a modest covering of an apron overskirt. The large bustle of the earlier century has been replaced in favor of a short train of black ribbon, matched by that of her sleeves, a nearly invisible white gauze and Japanese fan, decorated with floral blurs of pastel colors---all features which emphasize the sensual allure of her outfit. The model holds an umbrella to shield her from the sun while the fan serves to cool her from the rays. The white poodle (who often appears in Béraud's best-loved paintings) is a symbol of her influence and prestige. In the mid to late nineteenth century, poodles were a consistent status symbol, and many sunny afternoons were spent taking the animal to be washed, clipped, and then walked to show off the latest grooming styles. It is probably no coincidence that the poodle and his mistress are each characterized by a predominately white palette; almost as if both were being judged for show. Surrounding the pair are plants in this garden of cultivated disarray, built of strokes of paint in numerous shades of green from cool mint to jade, interrupted by the purples and reds of blooming flowers. Despite the sunny day, the lady herself and her poodle are cast in shadow, suggesting that a grove of tall trees stands to their side.

In this composition, Béraud provides a sensual visual display of figure and setting. This underscores his unique ability to capture the multifaceted aesthetic aspects of contemporary life in the late nineteenth century. Yet La Boule de Verre seems particularly focused on the relationship between seeing this lovely lady and her dog and, in return, being seen by them. While the model's gaze is directed off and out of the canvas, her poodle looks directly at the viewer, suggesting we have stumbled across a private walk (it is of course somewhat unusual that this woman is not chaperoned). The poodle's gaze is matched by another seeing eye--the boule de verre itself. As Alfred Stevens so famously detailed in his La Boule de Verre (sold: Sotheby's, New York, October 24, 1989, lot 99), the glass orb, a common nineteenth century garden ornament, was also a fascinating device for artistic experimentation. The mirrored, convex surface allowed for a brighter, bigger, better image of reality to be spied on its surface. In Béraud's work, the boule, ignored by the lady, stares almost directly across the viewer's site lines, drawing us into this sun-filled painted realm--itself more beautiful than day-to-day life, a visual escape of utmost beauty.

Please note this work will be sold unframed.

We are grateful to Patrick Offenstadt for kindly confirming the authenticity of this lot and providing additional catalogue information.