Joseph Marius Jean Avy (1871 - 1939) - Woman In The Mirror.

Charming portrait of a young woman with a mirror, entitled "The last hairpin".

A painting removed in warm colors, treated with transparency and sensuality.

Watercolor gouache on paper laid down on canvas
Signed lower left Titled on the back on an old label "The Last Pin"
Dimensions: 56.5 x 46.5 cm With frame: 64 x 54 cm

The woman in the mirror, a feminine ideal

Occupied in redo her hairstyle, the dreamy young woman is surprised in her intimacy. The tilted face, half-closed eyes, light complexion, wavy red hair, scantily dressed, so many details that fix the feminine ideal. Jean Marius Avy was able to capture the delicacy and sensuality of the gesture

Warm colors and transparencies

The very luminous orange background echoes the pink of the young model's cheeks. Joseph, Marius Avy perfectly masters the transparency and fluidity of watercolor to bring depth and sensuality to his painting.

Biography

Joseph-Marius Avy (1871-1939) was a French painter particularly known during the Belle Epoque. He stood out in particular thanks to large format paintings representing the leisure activities of Parisian high society. The best known is called the Bal Blanc.

Painter, pastellist, illustrator Student of Maignan and Bonnat, he exhibited at the Salon des Artistes français in Paris from 1900 to 1941 and at the Salon de la Nationale des Beaux-Arts from 1934 to 1939. He was awarded many times: Marie Bashkirtseff Prize in 1900, second class medal in 1903, diploma of honor in 1937, Knight of the Legion of Honor, and Croix de guerre. He married, in 1909, Germaine, the daughter of Albert Besnard. He assisted his father-in-law in setting up the canvases decorating the dome of the Petit Palais.
Among his decorations is the wedding hall of the Rotterdam City Hall.
Some of his compositions, such as the White Ball, can be dynamically removed, painted in highly contrasting color harmonies.

Bibliography
• Bénézit, “Joseph Jean Marius Avy”, Oxford Art Online, 2011
• Biographical Dictionary of Contemporary Artists, 1910-1930, Edouard-Joseph, Gründ bookstore, Paris, 1934
• Gérald Schurr, Values of tomorrow. The little masters of painting 1820-1920, vol. 4, Paris, editions of the Amateur. Paris, 1979, 1120 p.

Museum:
Paris, Petit Palais museum
• Lille, Palace of Fine Arts

Source
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Marius_Jean_Avy
https://culturezvous.com/bal-blanc-joseph-marius-avy/