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EUGENE GRASSET – “MEDITATION”, 1897

“MEDITATION”, 1897
Watercolour on paper
Monogrammed EG
79 x 44.25 cm.

Exhibition
Les Estampes Japonaises et les Impressionnistes, n. 30 in the catalogue
Eugène Grasset, 1845-1917. L’art et l’ornement. Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts, Lausanne,
18 March-13 June 2011, ill. p. 117, n. 132 in the catalogue

Bibliography
Victor Arwas, Berthon & Grasset, London, 1978, ill. p. 71

The “Estampes Décoratives” were published by the printer G. de Malherbe beginning in 1896.
They consisted of five pairs, each pair of identical dimensions, depicting beautiful women surrounded by flowers and foliage. The most spectacular were “Danger” and “Meditation”.
Between 1896 and 1898, Eugène Grasset exhibited six of his “Decorative Prints”, two at a time at each exhibition of La Libre Esthétique, and in 1898 he presented six lithographs at the first exhibition of the Vienna Secession.
In the 1970s, the American dealer and collector Bob Walker owned all ten original watercolors
which had served as models for the lithographs.

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EUGENE GRASSET – “DANGER”, 1897

“DANGER”, 1897
Watercolour on paper
Monogrammed EG
78.25 x 44.75 cm.

Exhibition
Salon du Champ-de-Mars, 1897 for the lithograph
Les estampes Japonaises et les Impressionnistes, n. 31 in the catalogue
Eugène Grasset, 1845-1917, L’art et l’ornement. Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts, Lausanne,
18 March-13 June 2011, n. 136 in the catalogue, ill. p. 120

Bibliography
Revue des Arts décoratifs, 17ème année, 1897, for the lithograph
Victor Arwas, Berthon & Grasset, London, 1978, ill. p. 70

The “Estampes Décoratives” were published by the printer G. de Malherbe beginning in 1896.
They consisted of five pairs, each pair of identical dimensions, depicting beautiful women surrounded by flowers and foliage. The most spectacular were “Danger” and “Meditation”.
Between 1896 and 1898, Eugène Grasset exhibited six of his “Decorative Prints”, two at a time at each exhibition of La Libre Esthétique, and in 1898 he presented six lithographs at the first exhibition of the Vienna Secession.
In the 1970s, the American dealer and collector Bob Walker owned all ten original watercolors
which had served as models for the lithographs.

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GEORGES DE FEURE – “A VERLAINE”, 1894-1895

“A VERLAINE”, 1894-1895

Lithograph. Printed in olive green on cream vellum, numbered in the lower left corner
Stains, losses, and short tears at the sheet edges. Traces of adhesive in the corners on the verso. Full margins
27 × 17 cm.

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VICTOR PROUVE – “L’OPIUM”, 1894

“L’OPIUM”, 1894
Color lithograph, edition of 100 for the 7th album of L’Estampe Originale. Blind stamp, signed in blue pencil and numbered 30. Framed.
62.5 × 40 cm.

Another example is kept in the Musée Lorrain, Nancy, in the Graphic Arts collection

Exhibition
L’Estampe originale. Artistic printmaking in France 1893-1895, New Brunswick, The Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum, 1991, n. 56
Victor Prouvé 1858-1945, musée Lorrain, Nancy, May 17 – September 21, 2008, ill. p. 249, n. 246 in the exhibition catalogue

Bibliography
Stein and Karshan 56
Roger Marx, un critique aux côtés de Gallé, Monet, Rodin, Gauguin…, Nancy, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Musée de l’Ecole de Nancy, May 6 mai – August 28, 2006,  ill. p. 54

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EUGENE GRASSET – “LA VITRIOLEUSE OU LA TASSE DE THE”, 1893

“LA VITRIOLEUSE OU LA TASSE DE THE”, 1893
Black chromolithograph, hand-colored with stencil in 6 colors, on heavy cream vellum,
with full margins. Example n. 93/100 of the original edition published in L'Estampe moderne,
Album VI (April–June 1894). Bearing the monogram on the plate, signed and numbered in pencil,
with the editor's blind stamp in the margin
59.4 x 43 cm.
The blind stamp was designed by Alexandre Charpentier
Similar example at the Musée lorrain, Nancy
Another example at the Bibliothèque d'art et d'archéologie Jacques Doucet, Paris

Exhibition
Roger Marx, un critique aux côtés de Gallé, Monet, Rodin, Gauguin…, Nancy, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Musée de l'Ecole de Nancy, May 6 – August 28 2006, ill. p. 299, n. 237
Eugène Grasset, 1845-1917. L'art et l'ornement. Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts, Lausanne, March 18 – June 13, 2011, n. 91 ill.  p. 78

Bibliography
L'Estampe originale, première année, Edition du Journal des Artistes, Paris 1893, Grasset,
ill. p.78 full page color
Anne Murray-Robertson, Grasset – Pionnier de l'Art Nouveau, Bibliothèque des Arts,
Paris, 1981 ill. p. 207
Renate Ulmer, Art Nouveau Symbolismus und Jugendstil in Frankreich, Arnoldsche, 1999,
ill. p. 52, n. 40

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PIERRE ROCHE – “ALGUES MARINES” OR “LEZARD ET CORAIL”

“ALGUES MARINES” OR “LEZARD ET CORAIL”
Gypsography in two colors
From an edition of 100, from “L’Estampe Originale” published by André Marty and Roger Marx
Numbered 62, signed in pencil. The double sheet on the back that contains the dry seal is missing
Similar model (n. 49) at the Fine Arts Institute of San Francisco, Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts, 1963.30.1523. Another one at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Another one (n. 86) at the National Gallery of Art, Washington

Exhibition
Sea Algae (Algues marines), 1893, another example in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Accession number 22.82.1-35

Bibliography
Stein and Karshan 70

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GUSTAV ADOLF MOSSA – LA CIRCE, 1906

LA CIRCE, 1906
Watercolor, gouache, black ink and pencil
Signed, dated HOC OPUS NICIENSIS FECIT / GUSTAV ADOLF MOSSA MCMVI lower right
Titled LA CIRCE / Ah combien j’ai bu de boissons faites de larmes de Syrènes, / distillées dans des alambics aussi effroyables que l’enfer
65 x 43 cm.

Exhibition
5ème Exposition des Beaux-Arts de Cannes, Cannes, Hôtel de Ville, 1907
Gustav Adolf Mossa et les symboles, 1883-1971, Nice, galerie des Ponchettes et musée des Beaux-Arts Jules Chéret, 7 July – 31 December 1978, n. 114
Gustav Adolf Mossa, l’oeuvre symboliste, 1903-1918, Paris, pavillon des arts, 19 June – 27 September 1992, Montauban, musée Ingres, 22 October 1992 – 3 January 1993, p. 147, n. 72
Gustav Adolf Mossa, l’oeuvre symboliste, 1903-1918, Thessalonique, Centre culturel Vellidio,
5 January- 4 February 1995, Athènes, Institut français, 13 February – 3 March 1995, n. 28
Gustav Adolf Mossa Symbolistiske Arbejder, 1903-1918, Holte, G. Holtegaard, 4 March – 20 June 1999, p. 37, n. 46
L’œuvre secrète de Gustav Adolf Mossa, Namur, Musée Félicien Rops, 30 January – 16 May 2010,
p. 88

Bibliography
G. de Jarrie, L’Exposition des Beaux-Arts de Cannes, in L’Eclaireue de Nice, 17 January 1907, p.5
Le Bourgeois, L’Exposition des Beaux-Arts de Cannes, in Le Journal des Arts, 19 January 1907, p.3
Jean-Roger Soubiran, Les Aquarelles symbolistes et la création plastique symboliste de Gustav Adolf Mossa, PhD dissertation, Aix-en-Provence University – Marseille, 1978, p. 129-130 and p. 500-501,
n. 106
Jean-Roger Soubiran, Les influences gothiques dans l’art symboliste de Gustav Adolf Mossa, in Nice historique, 1978, n. 2, p. 75
Jean-Roger Soubiran, Gustav Adolf Mossa, 1883-1971, Nice, 1985, pp. 60, 80, 212 et fig. 91 p. 81
Sylvie Lombart, Jean-Roger Soubiran, Gustav Adolf Mossa, Catalogue Raisonné des oeuvres symbolistes, Paris, 2010, p. 184-185, n. A116

Exhibition
Formerly in the collection of France Mossa-Lombart, then by descent

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LOUIS ICART – WATERCOLOR

WATERCOLOR
Watercolor used for the illustration of “Gargantua and Pantagruel” by François Rabelais
Signed bottom right and annotated on the left Livre 1 Chap LV

24 x 18.5 cm.

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WALTER SPINDLER – “SARAH BERNHARDT INVOQUANT DIOTIMA”, 1908

“SARAH BERNHARDT INVOQUANT DIOTIMA”, 1908
Watercolor and pencil on paper
Monogrammed twice and dated 15 juin 1908
Bearing the inscription: Diva Sarah Bernhardt Musa Imperatrix a Diotima
A Diotima tous mes désirs, tous mes devoirs me viennent d’elle

18 x 24 cm.
With the frame: 53 x 47 cm.

Exhibition
Sarah Bernhardt, Espace Cardin, Paris, 31 March-30 May 1976, n. 119, ill. in color p. 43
Sarah Bernhardt, Munich, 1984.
Stars et monstres sacrés, Les dossiers du Musée d’Orsay, Orsay, Paris, 1987, ill. p. 62
Sarah Bernhardt, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Tourcoing, 1987, ill. p. 62
Sarah Bernhardt ou le divin mensonge, Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, du 3 October-4 February 2001, ill. p. 113
Sarah Bernhardt The Art of high drama, The Jewish Museum, New York, 2 December-2 April 2006,
The Jewish Museum, Amsterdam, ill. p. 98
Sarah Bernhardt Et la femme créa la star, Petit Palais, 14 April-27 August 2023

Bibliography
Le Figaro Patrimoine, 11 May 2001, ill. p. 35
Sarah Bernhardt, The Art of High Drama, Yale University Press, 2005, ill. full color page p. 98

Provenance
Vente Sarah Bernhardt, Paris, 11-13 June 1923, sold 5.100 F.
Collection Michel de Bry
Vente Sarah Bernhardt et son époque, Maîtres Chayette & Cheval, Camard expert, 23 April 1997, lot 154
Collection Daniel Ladeuille.
Vente La Belle Epoque de Sarah Bernhardt, Théâtre de la Renaissance, Paris, Maître Binoche, lot 38

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MANUEL ORAZI – LA MAISON MODERNE – RARE LITHOGRAPH “FEMME AUX ORCHIDEES”, CIRCA 1902-1904

RARE LITHOGRAPH “FEMME AUX ORCHIDEES”, CIRCA 1902-1904
Colour lithograph
Signed, with the artist’s circular seal adapted from a Japanese motif
46 x 61.5 cm.

Bibliography
Victor Arwas, Art Nouveau: The French Aesthetic, Andreas Papadakis Publisher, London, 2002, ill. p. 197-198

Manuel Orazi designed important Art Nouveau posters for La Maison Moderne, as well as for Sarah Bernhardt, the 1900 Exposition Universelle, Loïe Fuller, and the Palais de la Danse. His works in oils, gouache and watercolours were exhibited
at the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts from 1897. He also supplied illustrations for periodicals and for books. As the principal artist working for La Maison Moderne, besides a poster, he created objets d’art and jewellery

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GEORGES ROCHEGROSSE – “DREAMS”, BEFORE 1910

“DREAMS”, BEFORE 1910
Watercolour and indian ink on paper
Signed
34.5 x 23.5 cm.

This is the watercolour that was used to illustrate Charles Baudelaire’s famous book Les Fleurs du Mal by Rochegrosse
It represents the poet Baudelaire and his inspiration

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GUSTAV ADOLF MOSSA – “SUZANNE ET LES VIEILLARDS” TRIPTYCH, 1906

“SUZANNE ET LES VIEILLARDS” TRIPTYCH, 1906
Watercolor, ink, gouache and pencil on paper
Signed, inscribed and dated lower center: GUSTAV ADOLF MOSSA NICIENSIS PINXIT MCMVI and titled below the central panel SUZANNE ET LES VIEILLARDS
36.7 x 56 cm.

Exhibition
Exposition d’œuvres d’Alexis et de Gustav Adolf Mossa, L’Artistique, Nice, 1909, n. 92
Exposition d’œuvres de G.A. Mossa, Galerie George Petit, Paris, 1911, n. 21
Gustave-Adolphe Mossa. Niciensis Pinxit, Musée des Beaux-Arts Jules Chéret, France, 29 January – 15 May 2022

Bibliography
Un Domino, Le Gaulois, Echos de partout, 5 April 1911
Léon Riotor, Le Radical, Echos, 11 April 1911
Gustav Adolf Mossa, catalogue raisonné des œuvres “symbolistes”, Somogy éditions d’art, 2010, n. A154, ill. p. 221

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LUCIEN LEVY-DHURMER – “LA MOISSON”

“LA MOISSON”
Pastel on paper
Signed lower right

77 x 56 cm.
With the frame: 114 x 96 cm.

Exhibition
Autour de Lévy-Dhurmer/ Visionnaires et Intimistes en 1900, Grand Palais, Paris,
3 March – 30 April 1973, similar work, n. 89 in the exhibition catalogue