Joseph Bail (1862-1921) - Folding laundry at the Hospices de Beaune

Oil on canvas, signed lower right

Dimensions: H. 33 x W. 24 cm (with frame: H. 50 x W. 41 cm)
Good condition
Giltwood frame

Born in 1862, Joseph Bail received a purely academic training under Carolus Duran (1837-1917) and Gérôme (1824-1904), two of the greatest official painters of the Second Empire. At only sixteen, he exhibited in Lyon in 1877; the following year he exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Français in Paris, where he remained a regular until his death.

Joseph Bail excelled in genre painting and still lifes. His admiration for the painter Jean-Baptiste Siméon Chardin (1699-1779) is ever-present. Joseph Bail's world is realistic, imbued with poetry, and above all, full of wit. His interiors depict young cooks or young women in a dim light filtering through a window, reminiscent of Vermeer (1632-1675). His works inspire serenity and unpretentious happiness. Joseph Bail was widely recognized during his lifetime for his work, winning the silver medal at the 1889 Universal Exhibition, the gold medal at the 1900 Paris Universal Exhibition, and the medal of honor at the 1902 Salon des Artistes Français. Bail's works are held in numerous museums, including the Petit Palais and the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Lille, the Musée de l'Échevinage in Saintes, and museums in Mulhouse, Nancy, Montreal, and elsewhere.

Our painting is one of the works this remarkable artist created at the Hospices de Beaune. Within these walls, young girls came to learn lacemaking and embroidery. Here, two young girls are focused on their task, bathed in the light from a nearby window. The drawing of one's face is simple, almost stylized. The piles of laundry are sketched with precision and speed, allowing us to discern the confident hand of Joseph Bail; in this painting, he also demonstrates his mastery of drapery. This oil painting is in excellent condition, despite an old relining.