Jessie Dressing: Intimiste Vuillard Like Masterpiece by Paul Maze Pastel on Paper

A wonderful intimiste scene by Paul Lucien Maze (1887-1979), the Anglo French artist I probably will not need to present. The work depicts the painter's young wife, Jessie, dressing in front of a mirror in their cottage home.

Often called “The last of the Post Impressionists" Maze is considered one of the great artists of his generation. Born into a French family at Le Havre, Normandy as the son of an art collector whose circle of artistic friends included Claude Monet, Raoul Dufy, Camille Pissarro and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Maze learnt the fundamentals of painting from Pissarro and as a young boy he sketched on the beach with Dufy. At the age of 12, Maze was sent to school in Southampton, England, to perfect his English and whilst there, he fell in love with all things English. He became a naturalised British subject in 1920.

Jessie Lawrie was Paul's beloved second wife, his muse and model. Although they met in the 1930s, they did not marry until 1950. The couple remained devoted to each other until Paul's death in 1979.

He painted and drew Jessie constantly, almost to the exclusion of anyone else in later years. It was his great friend and mentor Édouard Vuillard who had convinced Maze to adopt pastels as his principal medium. It proved perfect for spontaneous, loving studies

of his wife.

Maze's glimpses of domestic moments are reminiscent of the intimiste works of Bonnard and Vuillard, finding beauty in the mundane. Jessie appears oblivious to the viewer and the artist as she carries on with her daily routine, not posing bathing and dressing without self consciousness.

Numerous works by Maze are in the Tate, the Bank of England Museum, the Government Art Collection, as well as in the Ulster Museum, Manchester Art Gallery, and others.

Our pastel on paper is signed at the lower left and measures 36 x 53 cm. It is presented in a frame by RG - quite possibly the best framers in the world. The business was started in the late 19th century by Emile Gault, and by the mid 1930s, Picasso, Dali and Chagall could regularly be seen on RG’s premises to have their paintings framed.

Our frame dates from the 1950s, so it does show some signs of age, but it is a wonderful addition to the painting.

The overall framed size is 58 x 75 cm.

Nous parlons français, und wir sprechen auch Deutsch! Paintings may be viewed in Norwich and in Paris, as well as in London and Cambridge by appointment. Please contact us if you would like further details and images of an artwork.