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a painting of a woman reading a book in front of a fireplacepainting of a woman kneeling in front of a fireplace in a living rooman image of a painting of a woman sitting in front of a fireplacean old piece of paper with a drawing of a man on itan image of a picture of a picture of a picture of a picture of a picture of a picture of a picture of a picture of a picture of a picturea painting of a woman standing in front of a fireplacea picture of an old sign on the side of a buildinga white sculpture in a room with a painting on the wall
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30 - Edouard VUILLARD
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Estimate €150,000 - €250,000
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Description
Edouard VUILLARD Madame Hessel by the Fire, also known as In Front of the Fireplace – 1917–1918 Tempera on glue on cardboard Signed lower left ‘E.Vuillard’ 54.5 x 47.8 cm Provenance: Jos Hessel & Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, Paris (purchased from the artist on 21 January 1918, stock no.: 21082) Galerie Bernheim-Jeune (purchased from Jos Hessel on 19 December 1932) Fernand Javal Collection, Paris (acquired from the collection on 27 October 1934), then passed down through the family Auction, Paris, Sotheby’s, 3 June 2015, lot 57 Acquired at this auction by the current owner Louis Grandchamp des Raux Collection Exhibitions: 1933, titled *Devant la cheminée*, no. 21082 (according to a label on the reverse) Pittsburgh, Carnegie Institute, Ninth Annual Exhibition, 1920, no. 373 Paris, Galerie Paul Rosenberg, Works by Bonnard and Vuillard from private collections, December 1936, no. 23 Paris, Petit Palais, The Masters of Independent Art 1895–1937, June–October 1937, no. 6, p. 58 Paris, Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, Vuillard, exhibition in aid of the Orphelinat des Arts, May–June 1953, no. 9 (according to a label on the reverse) Albi, Toulouse-Lautrec Museum, Édouard Vuillard (1868–1940), paintings, watercolours, drawings, July–September 1960, no. 80, p. 35 Bibliography: T. Leclère, “Édouard Vuillard”, in *Art et décoration*, October 1920, reproduced on p. 105 A. Salomon, G. Cogeval, Vuillard: Le Regard innombrable. Catalogue critique des peintures et pastels, vol. III, Paris, Wildenstein Institute, 2003, no. X-204, reproduced in colour p. 1271 Édouard Vuillard, exhibition catalogue, Karlsruhe, Staatliche Kunsthalle, 2008, fig. 2, p. 155 Glue tempera on cardboard; signed lower left; 21 1/2 x 18 7/8 in. Around 1900, Édouard Vuillard became friends with Jos Hessel, one of the leading dealers in Impressionist and modern art of the time and a senior partner at the Bernheim-Jeune gallery. His wife Lucy soon came to play a central role in Vuillard’s creative life: as his supporter, confidante and lover, she became his favourite model, appearing in numerous paintings, drawings and photographs over a period of nearly forty years. The muse continually fuelled the artist’s inspiration and helped his painting to evolve (fig. 1). Every year, Vuillard joined the Hessels on their holidays in Normandy or Brittany. From these summer breaks, the painter returned with landscapes and interior scenes in which light and the sense of space took on a new significance. Painted towards the end of the war, this painting was acquired in 1918 directly from the artist by Jos Hessel and the Bernheim-Jeune gallery. It depicts Lucy seated in front of a vast fireplace draped in ochre-toned lace, whilst the fire crackles in the hearth. With her head resting on her hand, dressed in a long cream gown accented with black, she stands in a pose that is both elegant and relaxed. The trumeau above the fireplace adds depth to the composition, and the ochre walls of the drawing room are adorned with several paintings. A refined socialite—beautiful, elegant and cultured—Lucy Hessel often hosted gatherings and was a regular in art circles, accompanied by Vuillard (figs. 2 and 3). She organised visits to his studio and played a central role in the painter’s social life. He, moreover, was in the habit of visiting her every evening, first at the spacious flat on Rue de Rivoli, then, after 1906, at the one on Rue de Naples, depicted in this painting. In this intimate work, devoid of ostentatious staging, Vuillard succeeds in creating a unique atmosphere that transcends the opulence of the setting. The work, halfway between Nabi-style intimism and a subtle decorative abstraction, reflects the complex relationship between the artist and his muse. Fig. 1: Édouard Vuillard, Jos and Lucy Hessel in the Small Salon, Rue de Rivoli Fig. 2: Édouard Vuillard, Mrs Hessel Reading the Newspaper in the Evening, circa 1915–1916, spirit-based paint on paper mounted on canvas Fig. 3: Édouard Vuillard, Jos Hessel and his wife, Rue de Rivoli, circa 1904, oil on panel Édouard VUILLARD 54.5 x 47.8 cm Around 1900, Édouard Vuillard became friends with Jos Hessel, one of the leading dealers in Impressionist and Modern art of the time and a senior partner at the Galerie Bernheim-Jeune. Hessel’s wife, Lucy, soon became an important part of Vuillard’s creative life – as a supporter, confidante and lover. She was his favourite model, appearing in numerous paintings, drawings and photographs over a period of nearly forty years. As his muse, she was a constant source of inspiration for the artist and helped his painting to evolve (ill. 1). Every year, Vuillard would join the Hessels on their holidays in Normandy or Brittany. From these summer breaks, the painter returned with landscapes and interior scenes in which light and the sense of space took on new significance. Painted at the end of the war, this work was acquired in 1918 directly from the artist by Jos Hessel and the Galerie Bernheim-Jeune. It depicts Lucy, dressed in a long cream gown trimmed with black, seated before a large fireplace whose mantelpiece is draped in ochre-toned lace, whilst the fire crackles in the hearth. With her head resting on her hand, she strikes a pose that is both elegant and relaxed. The space above the fireplace lends depth to the composition; the ochre walls of the living room are adorned with several paintings. A refined socialite—beautiful, elegant and cultured—Lucy Hessel often hosted gatherings and was a regular fixture in the art world, frequently accompanied by Vuillard (ill. 2 and 3). She organised visits to his studio and played a central role in the painter’s social life. Indeed, he made a habit of visiting her every evening, first at the spacious flat on Rue de Rivoli, and then, after 1906, at the one on Rue de Naples, depicted in this painting. In this intimate work, devoid of ostentatious staging, Vuillard succeeds in creating a unique atmosphere that transcends the richness of the setting. The work, poised between Nabi-style intimacy and subtle decorative abstraction, reflects the complex relationship between the artist and his muse. Fig. 1: Édouard Vuillard, Jos and Lucy Hessel in the Small Drawing Room, Rue de Rivoli Fig. 2: Édouard Vuillard, Mrs Hessel Reading the Evening Paper, circa 1915–1916, spirit-based paint on paper mounted on canvas Fig. 3: Édouard Vuillard, Jos Hessel and his wife, Rue de Rivoli, circa 1904, oil on panel
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About the sale The Louis Grandchamp des Raux Collection
Auction location
Auction time 10/24/2026 at 4:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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