A beautiful oil painting on canvas. Titled “The Aunt’s Visit” by L Delachaux. The aunt has just bestowed gifts to her niece of a china bisque doll and treats (fruit and candies) to her nephew. She is seated, holding an orange. The niece looking longingly at the orange hoping the aunt will give a piece. Shockingly, the doll lays on the floor behind her while her brother digs in.The painting is in its original frame at 42” tall and 25” wide. The painting is visible at 30” tall and 22 ¾” wide. There is only a tiny blemish at the top right edge where the gold leaf and oil meet. A bit of the gold is on the canvas. All in all, this piece is in amazing condition and really pulls one.
Leon Delachaux (1854-1919) was born in the United States to Swiss parents. Little is known of his American career until he is found in the later 19th century in Paris studying with Ernest Duez and Dagman Bouveret. Be became a regular member of the Paris Art Scene where his name started to appear in salons’ exhibitions and at the Exposition Universelle in 1889 and in 1900 where he won a bronze medal. He also received the highest award of the French Government for art, The Legion of Honor.
This piece, “La Visite de la Tante”, depicts Delachaux at his best using all the tools of the Victorian genre painting, an every daily event with overtones of sentimentality. Yet, there is a subtle play between each of the performs on the canvas. The light is superbly handled to highlight only the important events between the actors. A wonderful random, but highly planned relationship between the many object within the composition all lead to the idea of surprise. Yet, in the middle of the excitement, a still life of delicately arranged flowers sits on the table in comparisons to the visit.
Signed and dated L. Delachaux, Paris ’84.
Price: $6950
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