Alfred Stevens

Leroy (acquired directly from the artist in January 23, 1885 and sold, his sale, September 2, 1885)
Knoedler, New York

The artist's "Registre comptable," 1885, no. 62467

Unlined. Under UV: areas of inpainting at lower right, smaller spots along right edge; inpainting to address repaired tear to the gown ruffle about halfway between the chair and the floor, spots of inpainting in figure's face and her arm at right edge.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

During his lifetime and to this day, Alfred Stevens was most celebrated for his paintings of the modern Parisian women. Often compelling and harboring subtle, but poignant, emotional narratives, Stevens consistently presents women of a high social class, usually at leisure and often reading letters or books. In paintings such as Memories and Regrets (Sterling and Francine Clark Insititute, Williamstown, Massachusetts), Without Hope (Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp) and Upset (Musée d'Orsay, Paris), his subjects are filled with melancholy or anxiety, but in the present lot and as the title La Femme et L'amour (L'amour qui vient) suggests, he presents a more calming narrative.

Indicated by the putto on the balcony, Stevens' subject is clearly distracted; lifting her eyes from her reading and tilting her head with curiosity, she has obviously been provoked and captivated by an amorous thought. Stevens uses this allegorical device in other paintings, recalling the whimsical style of a Fragonard painting or the tradition of Victorian fairy painting.

His artistic virtuosity and uncanny ability to create a harmony between his subject and her surroundings is shown in full strength in the present work. Here the lace curtain behind the open window, tassled brocade of her dress, texture of the white roses winding through the balustrade and the dappled light falling across the canopy and floor all work in concert to create a unified and dynamic composition. Beyond the inclusion of the putto, Stevens has cast a dream-like mood across the entire picture.

Stevens' depictions of elegantly dressed ladies in modern attire were a record of his times and he was well-connected to the highest echelons of Second Empire Society. He was an enormously successful artist during his lifetime, which allowed him to be a voracious collector of 18th Century costumes, furniture and decorative arts (which he would often place within his compositions), and social luminaries such as Princesses Mathilde and Metternich often lent him dresses for his models.

Another version of this work with the same title was completed the same year in association with Stevens' student Paul Sinibaldi.