Paul Victor Mathey (1844-1929) Portraits Of His Son Jacques, Two Drawings Signed

Paul Victor Mathey (1844-1929)
Portraits of his son Jacques
pencil on paper
13.3 x 19.5 cm and 13 x 19.8 cm
Each inscribed "Jacques 5 ans par son père" and signed with the artist's initials in the lower right-hand corner
Framed: 39.5 x 30.5 cm

Provenance:
Succession of the artist.
Artist's family.

Paul Mathey had a particular affection for children and was naturally keen to draw his son; these two drawings are a touching testament to this. They recall one of his most famous works, "Enfant et femme dans un intérieur" (Child and Woman in an Interior), housed at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris. The resemblance between the artist's son, shown here, and the child in this famous work is striking.

Paul Victor Mathey was born in Paris on November 14, 1844, and died there on November 24, 1929.
The son of a restorer, he trained at the École des Beaux-Arts de Paris with painters Léon Cogniet, Isidore Pils and Alexis-Joseph Mazerolle. He began exhibiting at the Paris Salon in 1868, before becoming a popular and recognized portraitist. He painted many portraits of artists around him in their studios.
While primarily a portraitist, Mathey also painted landscapes, seascapes and scenes of daily life. He also dabbled in engraving.
Many of his works have been awarded prizes. These include a third-class medal at the 1876 Salon, a second-class medal at the 1885 Salon and a gold medal at the 1889 Universal Exhibition. Finally, he was awarded the Légion d'honneur on October 29, 1889.

His works are held in numerous museums in France:
Brest: Musée des Beaux-Arts
Évreux: Musée d'Évreux
Dieppe: Musée de Dieppe
Gray: Musée Baron-Martin
Le Havre: Musée d'Art moderne André Malraux
Versailles: Musée d'Histoire de France
Paris:
- Musée du Louvre: the Graphic Arts department holds an album containing some 100 of his sketches.
- Musée d'Orsay