Pierre Laprade, Nude In The Studio, Oil On Canvas, Early 20th Century

A delightful painting depicting a young nude woman languid on a bed, her arm resting on a cushion, looking straight ahead, her face barely sketched. The brushstrokes are quick and the material is worked thickly, in the vein of post-impressionism. The delicate pink, parma and blue tones as well as the work of light accentuate the intimate atmosphere of the composition. 

Signed “Laprade” in the lower right corner. 

Pierre Laprade (1875-1932) was a painter, illustrator and engraver from Narbonne. A pupil of Henri Marre in his hometown and then of Antoine Bourdelle in Paris, he participated for the first time in the Salon des Indépendants of 1901. He exhibited at Ambroise Vollard and Berthe Weill, among others. From 1906, he traveled to Europe where he took part in various salons and exhibitions, notably the Salon de la Libre Esthétique in Brussels in 1907. In 1923, he was one of the founding members of the Salon des Tuileries. Following in the footsteps of the Impressionists with its vaporous atmospheres, his art tinged with grace can also be compared to the masters of the 18th century. Many of his works are now exhibited in French and international museums. 

A label visible on the back mentions the name of the artist, the title of the work as well as the name of an art dealer: “CHARLES MALPEL / TABLEAUX MODERNES / 15 rue Montaigne”. Charles Malpel (1874-1926) was an important collector and patron of the Parisian avant-garde, notably with Marc Chagall, Paul Signac and Kees Van Dongen, who painted several portraits of him. In 1910, he published the book Notes sur l’art d’aujourd’hui et peut-être de demain in which he shared his impressions and critiques of a series of avant-garde artists of the time. Shortly before the First World War, he opened his own gallery at 15 rue avenue Montaigne, through which our work seems to have passed. 

Some visible cracks in the pictorial material. 

There is a repair on the back of the canvas. 

Good condition. 

Period early 20th century. 

Dimensions: 

Framed: 48.5 x 49 cm 

Viewed: 34.5 x 34.5 cm