Delphin Enjolras (French, 1857-1945)


Nu allongé signed, inscribed and dated 'Paris 11 novembre 1918 11h. matin/DEnjolras' (lower centre)pastel52.3 x 71cm (20 9/16 x 27 15/16in).
|ProvenanceAnon. sale, Éric Pillon Enchères, Paris, 18 March 2012, lot 43.Private collection, UK (acquired from the above sale).A painter schooled in the Paris Academies under Gerome and Dagnan-Bourveret, Delphin Enjolras was a regular contributor to the Paris Salon, specialising in portrayals of elegant female figures, often seated in parlours or on terraces, bathed in lamplight. The inscription of the present lot is interesting, dating the work to the exact time that the Armistice of Compiègne came in to force, to officially end World War One. The sitter lies gracefully, her back to the viewer, quietly reading, seemingly oblivious to a monumental moment of history taking place less than 40 miles north of Paris.