DIMENSIONS: (unframed) 28.3 x 36.8 ins/ 72.0 x 93.5 cm
SIGNATURE: Signed ‘E. R. Ménard’ lower left
MEDIUM: Pastel
Nymphe se baignant au crépuscule
£18,000
Out Of Stock
Out Of Stock
This fantastical scene is the epitome of the artist’s oeuvre- A nymph bathing herself in the light of dusk. Émile- René Ménard was a great admirer of Ancient Greece and the classical world, having been immersed from a young age in an artistic environment, with the likes of Corot and the Barbizon painters frequenting his home, familiarising him with antique subjects. He became fascinated by humanist themes, especially nymphs, mythological spirits of nature imagined as a beautiful maiden inhabiting rivers, woods, or other locations.
Ménard’s pastel technique where he would scratch onto the canvas to reveal the layer underneath emphasises the ethereal and nostalgic ambience whilst adding a dreamlike quality to the work.
In Nymphe se baignant au crépuscule the viewer can see what Victor Shoe meant when he described Ménard’s work as “visions of a pacified, bathed nature, of dawn and of twilight, where the soul seems to immerse itself in the innocence of daybreak, and breathe the divine anointment that comes with the dawn.”(as quoted in Jean-David Jumeau-Lafond, Les Peintres de l’Âme: le Symbolisme Idealiste en France, exhibition catalog, Musée d’Ixelles, Brussels, October 15 – December 1999)
Provenance
Private Collection, France;
Private Collection, United Kingdom
Buy with confidence: our assurance to you
Professional Associations
We have built up a strong reputation for the quality of the paintings, drawings and sculpture that we curate, exhibit and sell. Our professional associations with bodies such as The British Antique Dealers’ Association (BADA) and the Association of Art & Antique Dealers (LAPADA) are as a result of our reputation for integrity, our wide knowledge of fine arts and the high quality of our stock. Our business standards and expertise are reviewed regularly to adhere vigorously with enforced Codes. Our memberships and commitment to its Code of Conducts, gives our buyers confidence when purchasing a work from us.
Authenticity
Condition reports and certificates of authenticity vary in their nature by artwork, for more information on your pieces of interest, please enquire with the gallery.
Artwork images
We take pride in the attention we give to our images of the artworks for purchase and invest in these to ensure outputs are aligned as closely as possible to the item in reality. We do not apply filters or modify images, we provide high quality images to reflect the high quality of our artworks.
Your purchase process
Payment processing – You can be assured that payments are securely processed through Worldpay’s trusted payment gateway.
The Trinity House promise to you
Shipping and packaging
Shipping and packaging requirements are assessed per piece to ensure the most suitable protection for the artwork. Trinity House will therefore call following purchase to agree the recommendations and costs.
Our After Sales services
We offer the following services which we will be happy to discuss with you following your purchase, alternatively you can enquire for more information.
Insurance
We offer insurance appraisals to protect your prised artwork and help you find the right cover and policy for you.
Framing
We are able to advise on framing and have access to every type and style to suit any artistic period or room setting.
Conservation
The nature of the materials involved in a painting mean that on occasion some pieces are susceptible to movement and the effects of natural ageing. We are able to provide advice on practical measures to conserve the original condition of a piece and have relationships with restorers and framers to offer you a range of services to meet your needs.
Biography
Émile-René Ménard (1862–1930) was a French painter born in Paris. From 1880 studied at the Académie Julian after having been a student of Baudry, Bouguereau, and Henri Lehmann. He participated in the Salon of the Secession in Munich, and the Salon de la Libre Esthétique in Brussels during 1897. Several personal exhibitions were also devoted to him at the Georges Small Gallery. In 1904, he was appointed professor at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière and in that year welcomed the rising young Russian painter Boris Kustodiev, age 26, in his art studio. In 1921, he exhibited in the Twelfth Salon along with Henri Martin and Edmond Aman-Jean. Galleries in Buffalo, New York and Boston, Massachusetts exposed Ménard and his art to the United States. However, the numerous commissions that Ménard received from the French government crowned his career; such as the cycle for the Hautes Études à la Sorbonne, the Faculté de Droit, and the fresco Atoms for the Chemistry institute, and finally the Caise des Dépôts in Marseilles.
