Artist: Frédérique Vallet-Bisson, French, 1862-1949
Materials: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 96 x 59 inches
Condition: Framed with safety backing
Literature: Sparrow, Walter Shaw, Women Painters of the World, from the time of Caterina Vigri, 1413-1463, to Rosa Bonheur and the Present Day, 1905, Hodder & Stoughton, London, pub., p. 240 (pictured).
Provenance: Rago Auctions 2019, Acquired from a Private Collection, Bronx, N.Y. in 1989
Why we bought this piece: Does it even need a description? Vallet-Bisson, Sargent’s student and Renoir’s lover, successfully submitted this work to the Paris Salon in 1895. The incredible detail and rich brushwork bring to life the graceful movement of the subject and the adoration of her elegant companion. Easily equal to or surpasses all of her male peers and deserves to reside in a museum.