Offered by Galerie Delvaille
French furniture of the 18th century & French figurative paintings
Portrait of Mrs. S. and Her Daughter, 1910 -11
Oil on oval canvas, signed and dated below
Dimensions: H. 129 x W. 96 cm
With frame: H. 150 x W. 116 cm
Provenance: Acquired by Mr. André Delvaille in 1973
Since then, it has remained in the family of his descendants
This Painting is listed in the collection of the Réunion des Musées Nationaux (RMN)
Visible in the photo of the Artist's Studio
Henry Caro-Delvaille, a Frenchman of Spanish origin, was one of the most prominent painters of high society in the early 20th century. He produced important works, notably on Titian and Phidias. His real name was Delvaille ("de la Vallée" in french), Caro coming from his mother Caroline's first name. Olivier Delvaille, the painter's great-grandnephew, currently runs the gallery of the same name.
From childhood, Henry Caro-Delvaille was curious about art, observing his surroundings, and drawing. His mother, a writer and poet, was his first guide. After studying from 1895 to 1897 at the Bayonne School of Fine Arts, Henry Caro-Delvaille studied under Léon Bonnat at the Paris School of Fine Arts. He exhibited for the first time at the Salon of the Society of French Artists in Paris in 1899. He won a medal there in 1901 for his painting entitled "The Manicure." A member of the National Society of Fine Arts since 1903, he became its secretary in 1904. In 1905, he won the Grand Gold Medal at the Munich International Exhibition. That same year, his friend Edmond Rostand commissioned him to decorate his villa in Cambo. He then became known as a portrait painter and received numerous commissions. He was made a Knight of the Legion of Honor in 1910. His painting can be compared to that of Carolus Duran (1837-1917), a famous society painter of the Belle Époque in Paris.
Henri Caro-Delvaille emigrated to the United States in 1913 and settled permanently in New York, moving toward the Art Deco style. He was thus a central figure in artistic, literary, and musical circles on both sides of the Atlantic, from Paris to New York. Much of his work is now found across the Atlantic.
Our painting is listed in the collection of the Réunion des Musées Nationaux (RMN). It depicts a portrait of Madame Signorelli and her daughter and was exhibited in 1910 at the Salon of the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts. The artist's talent is evident in the grace of the two figures' poses, the purity of their faces, the silky rendering of the fabrics and the transparent effects of the veils. The painting is still on its original canvas, in perfect condition. It is also in its original frame, as evidenced by the photo of the painter's studio where our painting can be seen.