Painting Portrait Michel Marie Poulain

Framed oil on canvas presenting a portrait of a young red-haired woman by the artist Michel Marie Poulain. Signature at the bottom right as well as on the back of the canvas "MM Poulain". Period 1950 Michel Marie Poulain (1906-1991) transgender woman she served pre-transition as a non-commissioned officer in the dragoons then was a prisoner of war in a stalag from which she escaped in 1941. She was also a model in the great fashion designers and music hall cabaret dancer. Regarding her trans identity, she had surgery in 1946. She was one of the first transgender women to become famous in France. Later, she opened a gallery in Cannes to exhibit her paintings. Painting in its "juice" requiring good cleaning. In good general condition but showing some material separation at the bottom left with its original gilded frame showing lack of gilding on the corners. Presence of 2 newspaper articles on the back of the work about the artist and his gender transformation. work format 46/38cm frame format 65/57cm