Albert Foa Painting Portrait Of Young Woman With Straw Hat And Blue Ribbon Marseille

Portrait d'élégante méridionale au grand chapeau, Albert Foa, Marseille, circa 1900

Charming pastel portrait of a young woman in three-quarter view, wearing a large straw hat adorned with an important blue ribbon. The figure, treated with great gentleness, stands out against a shaded green-gray background. The face, slightly smiling, is modeled in blended strokes, with delicate work on the skin tone, lips and eyes. The blue dress, lace collar and brown stole accompany this image of Belle Époque elegance, somewhere between a worldly portrait and a feminine evocation of the Midi.

The work is signed Albert Foa lower left. The reverse bears an antique label from the merchant Chiesa, 4 rue Saint-Ferréol in Marseille, a house of supplies for painting, prints, photographs, drawings, rentals and framing.

Albert Foa was a Marseille painter active around 1900. The Base Salons lists him as a pupil of Léon Bonnat, the great academic portraitist and major teacher of the late 19th century. Foa lived at 20 rue Montgrand in Marseille and took part in exhibitions organized by the Association des Artistes Marseillais. In 1901, he exhibited a number of portraits, placing this work in his preferred field: the female or society portrait, painted in a supple manner, attentive to the model's physiognomy and distinction.The model is adorned with a Belle Époque feminine toilette, circa 1895-1905: large straw hat with wide brim, voluminous bow, light-colored bodice, lace collar, blue dress and stole. The straw capeline evokes the Midi, the promenade, the resort or the elegant ladies of Marseille, Nice, Cannes or the Côte d'Azur around 1900.

Hair and clothing are treated with a more vaporous material. The palette of blue, straw, green-gray and brown creates a soft, very Belle Époque harmony, where light seems to glide over skin tone and lace. The large hat builds the whole composition: it frames the face, lowers the shadow over the eyes and gives the portrait that light elegance of the 1900s.

Overall good condition , Pastel framed under glass, with photographic reflections on the images. Some dust, light marks and minor wear from use visible under glass and on frame. Single gold rod, approx. 1 cm wide.

Dimensions: 63 x 47 cm. Rod: approx. 1 cm.