Louis De Schryver

Louis Marie de Schryver (French, 1862-1942) Rue Royale, Paris signed 'Louis de Schryver 98.' (lower left) oil on canvas 22¼ x 32¾ in. (56.5 x 83.2 cm.) Louis Marie de Schryver's oeuvre offers a glimpse of the elegant life of the privileged class in fin-de-siècle Paris. His paintings capture the grand boulevards, bustling with flower vendors, fashionably dressed women and stylish horse-drawn carriages that characterized the City of Light in the Belle Époque. In Rue Royale, Paris, de Schryver depicts one of the city's most famous streets. A popular destination for the wealthy in turn-of-the-century Paris as well as today, Rue Royal is known for its luxury shops and restaurants. De Schryver playfully calls attention to the street's fashionable character by placing a shop sign with the word 'Modes' in the upper left of the painting. Below, two women, one clad in an elaborate turquoise hat and dress and the other in a similarly ornate purple ensemble, affirm the meaning of the sign. Just a few steps ahead, a wet nurse, wearing the traditional red bonnet of her profession, appears in an intricate rose-colored cloak, holding a baby in an equally extravagant white gown. The pink of the wet nurse's attire echoes in the exuberant flowers spilling over the vendor's cart while the purple hues of the single burst of lilacs are picked up in the violet dress of the woman at the center of the composition. This lavender lady signals to her chic friend in the horse drawn carriage, adding another narrative note to the already engaging image. Amidst these stylish, hurried Parisians, a single dog pauses at the lower edge of the canvas peering out at the viewer as if to invite us into the lively scene. We are led further into the composition by the rows of buildings that form plunging perspectival lines that terminate in the hazy grayish-blue outline of the Luxor Obelisk and the dome of L'Hôtel National des Invalides. With these recognizable monuments in the distance, de Schryver reminds us of Paris' rich cultural past in the midst of his image of buzzing contemporary life.

LOT 58 LOUIS MARIE DE SCHRYVER FRENCH, 1862 - 1942 UN MARCHÉ AU XVIIIÈ SIÈCLE signed LOUIS DE SCHRYVER and dated 1900 (lower right) oil on canvas 120,000—150,000 USD 21 by 32 in. 53.3 by 81.2 cm Description signed LOUIS DE SCHRYVER and dated 1900 (lower right) oil on canvas PROVENANCE Private Collection, Akron, Ohio (since circa 1920)Thence by descent through the family to the present owner EXHIBITED Paris, Salon, 1900, no. 1196 CATALOGUE NOTE After his debut at the Salon of 1872 at the remarkableage of thirteen, de Schryver earned acclaim for his depictions ofParis' most recognizable sites: the fountains at the Place de laConcorde, the crowds of the Place de l'Opéra, and the grandedifices along the Champs-Élysées. As a member of the privilegedupper class, he innately understood the spirit of the Belle Époqueand the leisure activities of the fashionable set. De Schryverdeveloped a special interest in the many flower vendors in Paris,and chose them as the central subject of his oeuvre. While theseworks brought de Schryver international fame and patronage, in 1900he made a significant change in his production. As in the presentwork, he depicted flower sellers from eighteenth centuryParis -- their wagons overflowing with blooms and tables laden withripe fruit, all along the crooked, cobbled streets of the city inan earlier era, with its pre-Haussmann, plastered buildingsclustered together in various height and skewed angles. De Schryverprobably set his compositions in the past at the demand of hisgallery, Tedesco Frères; the nostalgic strategy could perhaps helpexpand his market and capitalize on the vogue for the bygone timeperiod. Whatever the inspiration, by stepping back in time, deSchryver took a creative leap forward. While his earlier works areclosely cropped, giving the viewer a fleeting glimpse of lifepassing in the crowded city, the present work offers a panoramicview. This allows the eye to meander among the market-goers, from arichly dressed couple who bargain for the best blooms, to a maidcarrying her dog (who gazes out at the viewer) as she inspects finefabrics and dainty shoes. In de Schryver's pre-1900 compositions,the bounteous and varied blossoms offered by the flower vendorsmirrored the costumes of the contemporary ladies whose salons andboudoirs he graced. In the present work, he expands on thisassociation, intricately decorating the rich silks and satins withfinely detailed floral embroidery.

LOT 221 LOUIS MARIE DE SCHRYVER 1862 - 1942 THE FLOWER SELLER signed de Schryver and dated 1887 (upper left) oil on canvas 25,000—35,000 USD 53 by 65 in.; 134.6 by 165.1 cm. signed de Schryver and dated 1887 (upper left) oil on canvas Louis Marie de Schryver was born into a prominent Parisianfamily with strong ties to the literary and artistic circles of thecity. De Schryver's father was a man of letters and a connoisseurof fine art, and enjoyed friendships with several distinguishedartists, including Jean Jacques Henner, Rosa Bonheur and PhilippeRousseau. Through his passion for art and his artistic connectionshe encouraged his son to pursue a career as a painter.A precocious child, de Schryver exhibited his first painting at theage of thirteen in the Salon des Champs-Elysées, an early beginningto what was to become a long and distinguished career. As a memberof the privileged upper class, from which he would often use hisfamily connections and friends as models for his pictures, deSchryver innately understood the spirit of the Belle Époque and theconcerns of fashionable society. He developed a special interest inthe proliferation of flower vendors in Paris and chose them as thecentral subject of his oeuvre. Their daily presence on theboulevards reflected the unquenchable desire of Parisians forbeauty, colour and scent. The bounteous and varied blossoms offeredby the flower vendors appropriately mirrored the beauty andcostumes of the ladies of fashion whose salons and boudoirs deSchryver's paintings surely graced. In the present work, de Schryver's flower seller is virtuallyengulfed by her impressive offering of domestic and exotic flowers.From the delicate azaleas, to the brilliant orchids, to the simpledaisies, to the lush roses - each blossom's vibrant petals betray adistinct personality, demonstrating de Schryver's consummate skillas a painter.

LOUIS MARIE DE SCHRYVER FRENCH, 1862-1942 THE FLOWER SELLER ON THE CHAMPS ÉLYSÉES 150,000—200,000 USD 27 3/4 by 40 3/4 in. 70.4 by 103.5 cm Description signed LOUIS DE SCHRYVER (lower left) oil on canvas Gustav Oberlaender, Reading, PennsylvaniaMrs. Harold M. Leinbach, Reading, Pennsylvania (by descent from theabove and sold: Parke-Bernet, New York, May 25-26, 1939, lot262)Edward "Major" Bowes (acquired at the above sale)Gertrude Algase, New York (acquired from the above)Mary P. Henry and Robert V. Henry, Larchmont, New York (acquiredfrom the above, circa 1960) As a member of the privileged upper class -- he would often usehis family and friends as models -- de Schryver innately understoodthe spirit of the Belle Époque and the leisure activities ofthe fashionable set. The artist developed a special interest in theproliferation of flower vendors in Paris, and chose them as thecentral subject of his oeuvre . The bounteous and variedblossoms offered by the flower vendors mirrored the costumes of theladies whose salons and boudoirs de Schryver graced. In the presentwork, two smartly dressed women pick out the perfect blooms asfellow chic strollers drift along the celebrated Champs-Élysées,with the Arc de Triomphe looming in the background. Such a vibrantand charming picture of Parisian life attracted the attention ofcollectors, many of them prominent Americans, like GustavOberlaender (1867-1936) who after emigrating from Germany in 1888founded Berkshire Knitting Mills, one of the largest factories ofits kind. Oberlaender's leisure time was occupied by archeologicalexpeditions, philanthropy and art collecting. Numerous works byimportant Old Masters, early British painters, and nineteenthcentury American and European artists hung in his impressiveGo-Al-Do Manor in Wyomissing Park, outside Reading, Pennsylvania.Oberlaender's collection was sold at Parke Bernet in 1939, whereThe Flower Seller was acquired by Edward "Major" Bowes(1874-1946), host of "Major Bowes' Original Amateur Hour," one ofthe most popular radios shows of the 1930s and 1940s. Bowes was animportant benefactor to New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral (he issaid to have funded the Cathedral's grand brass doors). FrancisCardinal Spellman, the Archbishop of New York, may have introducedBowes to his literary agent Gertrude Algase (whose notable clientsincluded President John F. Kennedy) who likely received TheFlower Seller from Bowes. After her conversion to Catholicism,Algase gifted the painting to Mary P. Henry, a fellow St. Patrick'scommunicant and her godmother.

Louis Marie de Schrijver (1862-1942) Pêches du Midi; Fruits d'Automne the first signed and dated 'Louis de Schrijver/-1895-' (upperright); and signed again and inscribed with title (on the reverse),the second signed and dated 'Louis de Schrijver/-1895-' (upperleft); and signed and dated again and inscribed with title (on thereverse) oil on canvas 41 x 56 cm. (a pair) (2) Provenance Anonymous sale, Sotheby's, London, 19 November 1997, lot190.