Alfred Stevens (Belgian, 1823-1906)

Although the work of Alfred Stevens cannot be neatly categorized as either Impressionist or Academic, he was definitely a Modernist, and his paintings of women are as modern in conception as anything painted by his many friends in the Impressionist movement - among them Degas, Whistler and Manet. He 'applied the brilliant resources of his superior art to the representation of the modern woman' (V. Steele, Paris Fashion, New York, 1988, p. 179).
The costumes worn by the women in Stevens's art accurately document the fashions of the Second Empire but they are also a celebration of the sheer joy of painting by an artist who, with a bravura almost unmatched at his time, transformed the color and textures of costume into paint on canvas. The present work, sometimes called Femme au châle Persan, is notable for its inclusion of the voluminous, intricately rendered paisley shawl worn by the sitter. These costly garments became popular after Napoléon’s invasion of Egypt in 1798 and remained popular in Europe throughout the 19th century. In addition to its distinguished provenance as part of the Wrightsman collection, the present painting also once fittingly belonged to the celebrated couturière Jeanne Lanvin.
We are grateful to the Comité Alfred Stevens for confirming the authenticity of this work on the basis of digital images. The work is accompanied by a certificate from the Comité Alfred Stevens and will be included in their forthcoming Alfred Stevens catalogue raisonné, now in preparation.