William Bouguereau

Arthur Tooth & Sons, London, no. 1066 (acquired directly from the artist by April 23, 1898 as Lady with Veil) 
Knoedler & Co., New York, no. 8438 (acquired directly from the above)
A. Gross, Chicago (in May 1898)
Peter A. Schemm, Philadelphia (and sold: American Art Associates, March 14-17, 1911)
Anderson Galleries, New York
Sale: Savoy Art & Auction Galleries, New York, April 1, 1967 (as The Veil)
Acquired at the above sale

 

Marius Vachon, W. Bouguereau, Paris, 1900, p. 160
Collection of paintings belonging to Peter A. Schemm, Philadelphia, 1901, no. 80, illustrated
Catalogue Braun & Clément, 1907, no. 4594
Mark Steven Walker, "A Summary Catalogue of the Paintings," in William-Adolphe Bouguereau: L'Art Pompier, exh.cat., New York, 1991, p. 74

The following condition report was kindly provided by Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. This painting has recently been cleaned. It has an old lining which is nicely stabilizing the surface and the paint layer is in excellent condition. There may be a tiny restoration or two on the left side of the mouth, but for the most part there seems to be no restorations to the picture and it should be hung as is.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

Le Voile is a late expression (1895) of the subject matter that had appealed to Bouguereau throughout his long career.  It represents a "fantaisie", or a theme inspired by Antiquity.   These Greco-Roman subjects had been favorites of Bouguereau since his Prix de Rome days in the 1850s.  They would eventually reach their culmination in such large-scale paintings as Jeunesse (see lot 32). 

Peeking out flirtatiously from under her diaphanous veil (the inspiration for the title, Le Voile), a beautiful young woman, wearing a traditional chiton, is placed in a sunlit landscape.  The only splash of color comes from the vibrant purple of the bouquet of violets at her side.  The interplay of shadow and light in her garment results in one of Bouguereau's most successful symphonies of white and grey, a juxtaposition of monochromatic color tones for which - as Damien Bartoli has pointed out - Bouguereau possessed a unique talent. 

The identity of the model is unknown but most likely she was from one of the lively art communities that were active in Paris during the late nineteenth century.  She may also have posed for other paintings from this period in Bouguereau's career, most notably:   La Vague, Inspiration, Le Narçisse, Le Rêve and others.

Le Voile was a popular painting during its time.  The firm Braun & Clément produced a photograph of it, which is catalogued under the number 4594.  Bouguereau also was fond of this image; it was chosen as a stereotype to be produced and inscribed with the message: "à Monsieur Peter A. Schemm, avec l'expression de mes sentiments distingués, William Bouguereau, le 2 décembre 1898."  Peter Schemm was one of the first American owners of Le Voile, following in the tradition of America's elite collecting the most critically acclaimed and popular art of the era - the paintings of William Bouguereau.