I was fortunate to be in Paris on April 30th to attend the Artcurial unveiling of an exceptional collection of paintings, drawings, and art objects from the Marie & Félix Bracquemond collection. The auction, Marie & Félix Bracquemond, Un couple au service des Arts, was held in the magnificent historic Hôtel Marcel Dassault in Paris. My only prior knowledge of the artists was that Félix Bracquemond created ceramics with Ernest Chaplet in 1875.
During my stay, I visited the Musée d’Orsay exhibition Paris 1984, Inventing Impressionism. There were several works on display by both Marie & Félix Bracquemond. It was very exciting to discover artists that were previously unknown to me.
Félix Bracquemond (May 22, 1833 – October 27, 1914) was a towering figure in nineteenth-century French printmaking, winning the Grand prix de gravure at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1900. He formed a bridge between the Barbizon School and the Impressionists, having close links with both groups. His wife, Marie (December 1, 1840 – January 17, 1916) was a French Impressionist artist. Henri Focillon described Bracquemond in 1928 as one of “les trois grandes dames” of Impressionism alongside Berthe Morisot and Mary Cassatt.
At the Artcurial auction I purchased a 5.31 x 7.08 inch pen and brown ink drawing by Félix Bracquemond titled “Passants sur le pont Alexandre III” (Passers-by on the Alexandre III bridge). I also visited the Pont Alexandre III Bridge. A wonderful experience, an adventure worth remembering!
