Théobald Chartran (1849-1907) - Young woman in a kimono

Dimensions : 45 cm x 31 cm (with its original frame 73 cm x 56.5 cm)

Originally from Besançon, Théobald Chartran quickly made a name for himself as a talented illustrator and caricaturist. At the age of eighteen, he was admitted to the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he studied under Alexandre Cabanel, a leading figure in academic painting during the Second Empire. Having chosen the path of official art and not taking part in the Impressionist movement, Théobald Chartran is little known to the general public today, yet he was one of the most remarkable French painters of the late 19th century.

Winner of the Grand Prix de Rome in 1877, Chartran received numerous commissions from high society and painted portraits of President Sadi Carnot, Sarah Bernhardt, Pope Leo XIII, President Roosevelt, and others. For Vanity Fair magazine, Chartran created caricatures of Prime Minister Waddington, Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas fils, Prince Napoleon, and others. In 1886, he was commissioned to decorate the grand staircase of the Sorbonne, and a little later, the town halls of Paris and Montrouge.

In his mansion, Chartran welcomed the cream of Parisian society, including artists, writers, and politicians. His grandiose receptions also attracted American billionaires such as Henry Clay Frick.

Chartran's work is as meticulous as it is poetic. Very busy with commissions from the French state, Chartran produced only a few paintings, many of which were acquired by the greatest French and foreign museums. His works are very rare on the market.

This work Young Woman in a Kimono,is infinitely elegant. The young woman's face, posture, and clothing reflect the extreme refinement of French and American high society at the end of the 19th century. The magnificent kimono, with its soft folds, complements the Japanese-inspired floral decor, which was very popular in 1880. At the age of 35, Chartran painted this sublime portrait just as he was beginning to make a name for himself: his financial means allowed him to commission a truly exceptional frame for this painting. Decorated with laurels, this large frame is embellished with rows of pearls, ropes, and rays of hearts. Finely carved and gilded with gold leaf, it has just been restored. The painting, oil on a beveled wooden panel, is in perfect condition, simply stripped and revarnished. The colors are intact and there are no damages to report.

Main museums where Chartran's works are exhibited:

Pittsburgh (Carnegie Museum of Art),  Washington (Maison-Blanche Treaty Room), Paris (Musée Carnavalet) , Paris (Musée d'Orsay), Boston (Museum of Fine Arts), Florence (Galerie des Offices)….