Henry Ottmann (1877-1927) Bust Portrait Of A Woman, Signed Pastel

Henry Ottmann (1877-1927)  
Bust-length portrait of a woman
signed lower right
pastel on paper 
53 x 43 cm
Framed 74 x 64 cm
 
This bust portrait of a woman shows us another aspect of Henry Ottman's artistic career. As well as landscapes and still lifes, a large part of his work was devoted to depictions of women, often nude and discreetly erotic, such as "Courtisane endormie" (Sleeping Courtesan) from 1920, now in the collections of the Musée national d'art moderne. The model represented here, who seems to be questioning the viewer's gaze, is clearly naked. But it's all very suggestive.
There is also a magnificent play of colours in the backgrounds, playing on yellows, blues and greens. Here we find this endearing artist at his best.
 
Henry Ottmann was born on 10 April 1877 in Ancenis. 
He made his debut at the Salon La Libre Esthétique in Brussels in 1904 and took part in the Salon des Indépendants in Paris from 1905, the Salon d'Automne, the Salon de la Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts and the Salon des Tuileries.
In 1911 and 1912, Ottmann exhibited at the Artistes de la Société Moderne at the Gallery Paul Durand-Ruel together with Armand Guillaumin, Henri Lebasque and others. In 1912, he exhibited at the gallery Eugène Druet.
In 1920, Ottmann exhibited at the gallery Marcel Bernheim together with Manguin, Tirman, Alexandre-Paul Canu and others.
In 1922, he exhibited at the Exposition du Cercle Artistique de Bruxelles together with those of Paul-Albert Besnard, Pierre Bonnard, Raoul Dufy, Othon Friesz, Charles Guérin, André Lhote, Henri Matisse, Paul Signac, Maurice de Vlaminck and others.
In 1926, Ottmann exhibited at the gallery L.Dru (Paris)  and at the Parisian gallery La Palette Française and in March 1927 in the gallery Armand Drouand.
He died in Vernon on 1 June 1927 after a car accident.
The Museum of Fine Arts in Nantes has a dozen paintings by the painter, including L'Étal Marseillais, L'Erdre at the bridge of Orleans and Portrait of the artist . 
The painting La Gare du Luxembourg à Bruxelles is now exhibited at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.