Notes

Jean-Gabriel Domergue’s portraits of glamorous Parisian women are presented in couture and placed within high-society contexts. The idealised proportions of these wasp-waisted ladies are transposed against a contrasting colour background. In the case with La Loge, it is a vibrant red, thereby emphasising her matching red lips.

Domergue was born in Bordeaux, France. His artistic journey left an enduring mark on the world of art and fashion. He studied at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts and was a student of Edgar Degas and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.

Domergue’s work focuses on portraiture where portrayals of chic and exquisitely attired women came to embody the effervescent spirit of post-World War I in Paris. Domergue also delved into the world of fashion, collaborating with renowned fashion designers such as Paul Poiret and Henry Margue that enhanced his influence on the era’s image. He redefined the portrayal of women, capturing the essence of glamorous, modern, post-war femininity and etching his name into the annals of art history.

From 1955 to 1962, Domergue was the curator at the esteemed Musée Jacquemart-André, where he curated remarkable exhibitions showcasing works by Vincent van Gogh, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Francisco Goya, and others. His work features in the Atkinson Art Gallery Collection, Chester Dale Collection and formally the collection of Andrée L Vuitton. Domergue’s work has graced auction rooms such as Christies, London in a sale titled Impressionist and Modern Art and Picasso Ceramics, in 2016.

Provenance

The Property of a Collector.