{"product_id":"young-woman-taking-off-her-dress-by-hippolyte-petitjean","title":"Young Woman Taking Off Her Dress by Hippolyte Petitjean","description":"Hippolyte Petitjean\u003cbr\u003e 1854–1929 | French \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cem\u003eYoung Woman Taking Off Her Dress\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Artist's estate stamp (lower right)\u003cbr\u003e Watercolor on paper \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This luminous watercolor by Hippolyte Petitjean, entitled \u003cem\u003eYoung Woman Taking Off Her Dress\u003c\/em\u003e, places the artist within the modern world of Seurat, Signac, Cézanne and Matisse. A close friend of Georges Seurat, Petitjean began experimenting with Pointillism in 1886 and adopted its radical approach to color into his refined figure studies. In this work, he brings the movement’s modern color theories to an intimate study of the female figure, transforming a quiet moment of undress into a richly orchestrated composition of light, color and form. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The young woman stands outdoors before richly varied foliage, her body modeled through warm color and softened contours. Rather than shaping form through conventional light and dark, Petitjean builds the composition through broken marks of pigment, allowing the toned paper to emerge between them. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Central to Pointillism was the idea that separated touches of color could produce greater luminosity and vibrancy than pigments mixed together before application. Petitjean uses that principle with exceptional subtlety: shadows are built from rich color rather than simple darkness, while his varied marks give the composition a remarkable sense of vitality. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Petitjean moved to Paris in 1872 and studied at the École des Beaux-Arts under Alexandre Cabanel. Deeply influenced by Puvis de Chavannes, he developed a lifelong interest in poetic figure scenes that evoke an idealized harmony between the human form and nature. That classical sensibility, combined with his Post-Impressionist technique, gives this watercolor its distinctive union of tradition and modernity. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Petitjean exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants and took part in important avant-garde exhibitions in Paris, Brussels, Berlin, Weimar and Wiesbaden. Alongside Théo van Rysselberghe and Henry van de Velde, he helped extend Divisionist and Post-Impressionist ideas beyond France and into the Belgian avant-garde. Works by Petitjean are held in major public collections, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art and the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e With its beautifully varied pointillist handling, \u003cem\u003eYoung Woman Taking Off Her Dress\u003c\/em\u003e stands among the most attractive and accomplished works on paper of Petitjean’s career. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Circa 1895-1910 \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Paper: 15“ high x 9 1\/4” wide (38.10 x 23.50 cm)\u003cbr\u003e Framed: 24“ high x 18 3\/4” wide x 1 1\/4“ deep (60.96 x 47.62 x 3.17 cm) \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Provenance:\u003cbr\u003e The artist’s studio\u003cbr\u003e Private collection, Paris\u003cbr\u003e M.S. Rau, New Orleans","brand":"M.S. Rau","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46146370568327,"sku":"32-3254","price":39850.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0083\/2471\/0466\/files\/32-3254_1_7eb452f5-a91a-44c4-adb6-3ae91316f9b9.png?v=1791991237","url":"https:\/\/rauantiques.com\/products\/young-woman-taking-off-her-dress-by-hippolyte-petitjean","provider":"M.S. Rau","version":"1.0","type":"link"}