After Edgard Maxence, Liturgical Costume, 1910s, Oil on Canvas

Follower of Edgard Maxence.
French ( b.1871 - d.1954 ).
Meditation, Circa 1910.
Oil On Canvas.
Image size 34.4 inches x 22.2 inches ( 87.5cm x 56.5cm ).
Frame size 44.1 inches x 31.9 inches ( 112cm x 81cm ).

This remarkable original work is by a skilled French artist who was a follower of the leading French symbolist painter Edgard Maxence b.1871- d.1954.
This oil painting of circa 1910, is a larger stylised depiction of Maxence’s smaller watercolour work titled “Meditation” of circa 1905.
The painting is presented and supplied in its original frame (which is shown in these photographs).
The canvas, stretcher and frame have benefitted from cleaning, restoration and conservation, which was performed on our instruction, supervision and approval.
This antique painting is in very good condition. It wants for nothing and is supplied ready to hang and display.

This is a remarkable original work by a skilled French artist who was a follower of the leading French symbolist painter Edgard Maxence. The work is fascinating, not least because it is an artistic tribute to a work of the same title by Maxence, but was produced as a variance on a theme, rather than an attempt to replicate. This work can be dated to around 1910.

Edgard Maxence (1871-1954), also known as Edgard Henri Marie Maxence, was born in Nantes in 1871. He studied at the School of Fine Arts in Paris, where he was a brilliant student and won several awards. He became a student of Gustave Moreau and began to distinguish himself by his taste for portraits. He was very attached to the Symbolist movement and inspired by the legends of Brittany and Celtic influences. He was also drawn to the Catholic faith of his home region and closely studied liturgical costume. He was mainly active in Paris, where he was a regular exhibitor in the major galleries. In 1900 he was awarded a gold medal at the World Fair and became a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour. He enjoyed a brilliant career as a social portrait painter, although also created some still life and landscape work too. His work is held in several major public collections today.

Maxence was mostly admired for his symbolist compositions, principally of women and he was known to use his wife and daughter as models for his work. One of his major works was ‘Meditation’, which sold in Sotheby’s in October 2019. This work depicts a lady in medieval costume, sitting in a prestigious wooden chair, with wooden paneling in the background, holding a small red missel (book of prayer). She sits in contemplation with her eyes downcast and is a figure of both stature and quiet dignity.

The work which we now offer is an obvious tribute to this piece, undertaken by a skilled artist clearly familiar with the Maxence’s work, but it is not an attempt to duplicate the original. The subject matter is exactly the same, but the hand of the artist, the scale and the methodology are different. The work offered here was purposefully created in a different medium, namely oil on canvas whereas the Maxence work is black pencil, watercolour and gouache on paper. This choice of oils enables the artist to create this image in colours that are deeper and more vibrant. There are subtle changes in style too; the piece now offered is slightly more elongated and more stylised. The size is also different, with this piece being around 50% larger overall than the Maxence work. The result is a stunning second work, an original in its own right, with its own unique beauty.

This amazing original work is an oil on canvas study entitled ‘Meditation’.

It depicts a beautiful lady in medieval costume, sitting in an elaborately carved wooden chair. She is wearing a dramatic tall white headdress with embroidered embellishments, typical of the Brittany region, and is holding a small liturgical book. She wears a long-sleeved dress of deep purple with a simple white underbodice. The sumptuous folds of her garment and the delicacy of her features demonstrate the mastery of the artist.

The appearance of the lady suggests she has high social status and great dignity; her downward gaze and quiet contemplation invoke an atmosphere of serene reflection. There is a timeless elegance to this piece, which evokes universal themes of faith, piety and the mystic qualities of prayer and reflection. It is exquisitely executed and a perfect antidote to the pace and nature of the modern age.