Lot 187: Gaston La Touche (French, 1854-1913) Le Ballet

Le Ballet
signed 'Gaston La Touche' (lower left)
oil on canvas
61 x 60cm (24 x 23 5/8in).

PROVENANCE:
with Watson Art Galleries, Montreal
Private collection, Canada

LITERATURE:
Selina Baring Maclennan, Gaston La Touche, A Painter of Belle Epoque Dreams, Antique Collectors' Club, 2009

This charming scene dates from the radical shift in subject matter, palette and technique of La Touche's work from 1890 onwards, where the artist evolved from depicting realist paintings to a lighter, brighter, more idealistic world of balls, ballet scenes, nymphs and fountains. La Touche's particular friendship with Manet and his discussions with Degas, Forain and Chéret at the Café de la Nouvelle Athènes were most certainly an influence upon his work. His feathery brushstrokes, each of a different shade give his pictures an ethereal serenity, making them appear far removed from the everyday world.

This will be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné being prepared by Roy Brindley and Selina Baring Maclennan.

We are grateful to Selina Baring Maclennan for her assistance in cataloguing this lot.