Henri Edmond Cross 1856-1910 Study Of Irma Clare

Henri Edmond Cross
1856-1910
Study of Irma Clare seated
Black pencil, ink and watercolor
17 x 20 cm
Stamp lower right Lugt 1305a Listed in the Patrick Offenstadt Archives.

1849-1933 Irma Clare was first married to the writer Hector France 1837-1908 before becoming the wife of Henri-Edmond Cross in 1893.
She played an important role in Cross's artistic life, first as the subject of an important full-length portrait now in the Musée d'Orsay marking his transition to Neo-Impressionism, and then as a caring companion in their home in Le Lavandou in the South of France, where she helped him continue his work despite his problems with rheumatism in his later years.
Henri-Edmond Cross was a major Neo-Impressionist painter who transitioned from naturalistic painting to Pointillism after meeting Seurat and Signac.
Based in the South of France, his bold use of color and light influenced Matisse and the Fauves, helping to bridge the gap between Neo-Impressionism and early modern art movements. This intimate study of Irma demonstrates Cross's ease with watercolor and his approach to capturing life's moments in his sketchbook.