HSC painting Henry Vollet Breton woman knitting hydrangea flowers Brittany 20th century
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Oil on cardboard, signed Henry Vollet* (1861-1945), depicting a knitter in a park or flower garden. A Breton woman stands with her back to the viewer, knitting at a garden table. All around her is a beautiful floral display: colorful hydrangea bushes structure the background, while the foreground is defined by a tree and a bed of geraniums.
The woman wears a traditional Breton costume, reminiscent of the clothing and headdresses of the Nvez region where the artist spent his final years. The overall atmosphere of this painting is very sunny, and the rich and vibrant color palette reinforces the joyful and luminous aspect of the depiction.
This painting is in good overall condition. It is signed in the lower left corner. It is an oil on cardboard which is slightly warped (see photos of the painting laid flat).
Note: some paint loss (see red arrows, especially in the upper left part), wear and tear from age, see photos.
Genre painter (French School). Student of Cormon. Member of the Société des Artistes Français since 1889; honorable mention in 1888, third-class medal in 1894, second-class medal in 1897, bronze medal in 1900 (Universal Exhibition); Knight of the Legion of Honor in 1904. The Laval Museum holds a painted sketch by him. (Excerpt from Bénézit)
Highly regarded artist on Artprice.