Emile Vernon (1872 – 1919) - La toilette

Emile Vernon (1872 – 1919) - La toilette - Oil on canvas mounted on cardboard - Signed bottom right - Frame from the early 19th century.

Emile Vernon stands out as a French painter recognized for his portraits, figures, still lifes and landscapes. However, it is his paintings of elegant female figures that arouse major interest among enlightened amateurs. Of modest origin, Vernon began his artistic apprenticeship at the School of Fine Arts in Tours, his hometown, where he won the first prize for drawing in 1888. He then continued his studies under the tutelage of eminent masters such as William Bouguereau (1829-1905) and Auguste Truphème (1836-1898) at the Paris School of Fine Arts. In 1898, he made his debut at the Exhibition of Fine Arts in Decorative Arts in Tours, marking the start of an artistic career that would flourish at the Salon des artistes français, where he exhibited regularly until 1913.

Our painting depicts a delicate and intimate scene where a young woman is at her toilet, busy placing flowers in her hair. With characteristic grace and sensitivity, the artist captures this private moment, offering an intimate vision of femininity and natural beauty.