JEANNE SELMERSHEIM-DESGRANGE | Le Petit Déjeuner devant une Fenêtre

Name: JEANNE SELMERSHEIM-DESGRANGE | Le Petit Déjeuner devant une Fenêtre
SKU: 20215

£42,000.00

Oil on Canvas

65 x 92 cms / 25½ x 36¼ inches

Signed J. Selmerseim-Desgranges (lower right)

Jeanne Selmersheim-Desgrange’s Le Petit Déjeuner devant une Fenêtre is a luminous Neo-Impressionist masterpiece, where dappled brushstrokes and vibrant colour capture the quiet elegance of a sunlit interior. Painted in the South of France, this refined still life reflects her mastery of light, texture, and composition. Long overshadowed by her association with Paul Signac, Selmersheim-Desgrange’s distinctive artistic voice is now receiving its due recognition. Discover her exquisite paintings at Gladwell & Patterson.

Jeanne Selmersheim-Desgrange is renowned for her relationship with Paul Signac. The pair met in Paris in the 1890s and Jeanne became his pupil and later his mistress. Through this relationship Selmersheim-Desgrange embraced the Neo-Impressionist pointillist style which Signac had developed alongside Paul Seurat.

Selmersheim-Desgrange’s direct talent as an artist may be seen in the distinctive compositions of her brilliant still lifes and landscapes. Her watercolours and oil paintings are executed with a delicate palette of pastel tones.

Selmersheim-Desgrange spent a great deal of time in the South of France, particularly around St. Tropez and Antibes, where Signac and Jeanne settled in 1913. The relaxed atmosphere, the intense light, the brilliant earthen colours, and azure seas all helped to form Selmersheim-Desgrange’s aesthetic. Life in the South of France was focused around the beautiful Mediterranean Sea, and Jeanne’s most spectacular works are those composed of view from a balcony looking onto the glistening Mediterranean beyond.

Read more about Jeanne Selmersheim-Desgrange here.
Provenance

Private Collection, France.

Gladwell & Patterson, London; acquired from the above in 2023.

Selmersheim-Desgrange’s series of balcony tables, painted in and around Saint-Tropez, are widely considered to be the best expression of her impeccable Neo-Impressionist style. Paintings of this type have proved enduringly attractive for the way in which they seamlessly mix a subtle treatment of sea and sky, the jewelled textures of flowers, and a central still life composition. The largest works she produced; Selmersheim-Desgrange clearly considered this series to be her masterpieces, and continually refined and developed the subject matter.

These paintings stand out for the exceptional subtlety of its colouring. Selmersheim-Desgrange captures bright colours of morning sunshine on the Côte d’Azure.
Within the oeuvre of Jeanne Selmersheim-Desgrange, Le Petit Déjeuner devant une Fenêtre stands out as a noteworthy example, illustrating her Neo-Impressionist proficiency. Executed with finesse characteristic of her impeccable style, this work captures a breakfast arrangement placed against the backdrop of a window, echoing the artist's penchant for the morning sunshine of the South of France.

An elegantly shaped fruit bowl brimming with sumptuous fruits graces the composition, contributing to the still life arrangement and symbolizing the intersection of domesticity and artistic refinement. Selmersheim-Desgrange's commitment to Neo-Impressionism is visible in the highly dynamic brushwork, seamlessly weaving a tapestry of vibrant details. Employing the pointillist technique, individual marks of colour coalesce to form a cohesive visual narrative, showcasing her technical mastery.

The palette, characterized by bold yet slightly desaturated hues, reflects the artist's profound understanding of colour dynamics, particularly influenced by the radiant light of the Côte d’Azur. Le Petit Déjeuner devant une Fenêtre thus stands as an eloquent tribute to Selmersheim-Desgrange's profound artistic collaboration with Paul Signac and her remarkable individual contribution to the Neo-Impressionist movement.

Selmersheim-Desgrange’s series of balcony tables, painted in and around Saint-Tropez, are widely considered to be the best expression of her impeccable Neo-Impressionist style.

Paintings of this type have proved enduringly attractive for the way in which they seamlessly mix a subtle treatment of sea and sky, the jewelled textures of flowers, and a central still life composition. The largest works she produced; Selmersheim-Desgrange clearly considered this series to be her masterpieces, and continually refined and developed the subject matter.