1865-1937
For more than thirty years Lebasque used members of his own family as models and the locations in his paintings are places which he knew over many years. His daughters Nono and Marthe were amongst his favourite sitters, and he conveys a very personal response to home and family in his paintings of them. Marthe later said: ‘He had a happy disposition, he was content in the middle of his family. He was happy about painting….He adored us forming a happy image. He felt that very strongly, and conveyed that image with such strength in his paintings’.
In the present work, the artist has placed Nono in the centre of a busy composition rich with colour, yet the scene has a strong air of calm and warm contentment which Lebasque excelled at. The critics of the day praised him for his ability to capture a wonderful sense of light and here that is achieved to perfection by the subtle use of colour combinations, layers of translucent paint and the arrangement of the subject matter.
Sitting in the shadows of a warm day, Nono plays with her beads in a relaxed manner, her right leg idly swinging, her face mistily daydreaming. Lebasque preferred to use the arrangement of his sitters’ limbs to convey mood and always keeps the facial features soft and indistinct. The heady atmosphere of the day is hinted at by the strong daylight seen outside the window and doorway, heightened by the orange-pink colours of the interior. The glowing bouquet of flowers in the foreground enriches the sense of fragrant lushness, forming as it does a beautiful still life of its own, reminiscent of the flower paintings of Odilon Redon.
Nono in Alcove with Bouquets of Flowers is at once intimate and universal. It is a fine example of what Lebasque sought to achieve - the viewer is transported to a classic moment in summer, full of warmth, relaxation and gentle happiness.
Provenance:
Private Collection, Argentina
This picture will be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonne in preparation by Denise Bazetoux. A certificate by Madame Bazetoux will be delivered to the purchaser.
