Théo Van Rysselberghe (1862–1926) — Young Woman With A Hat, C. 1902

This small-scale painting is a work by the Belgian Pointillist artist Théo van Rysselberghe (1862–1926), created around 1902. The work depicts a portrait of a young woman wearing a hat. The painting is executed with vibrant and distinct brushstrokes, highly characteristic of the Neo-Impressionist and Fauvist styles. Théo van Rysselberghe is widely recognized as one of the greatest Belgian artists of the turn of the 20th century. He played a pivotal role in promoting the European artistic avant-garde and gained great renown as a master of light and sunlight. In 1886, Van Rysselberghe attended the eighth Impressionist exhibition in Paris, where he discovered Georges Seurat’s masterpiece, *em**A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte*/em*. Pointillism had a profound impact on him. Under Seurat’s influence, Rysselberghe abandoned realism and adopted the Neo-Impressionist technique. However, unlike Seurat, he rejected rigid geometric forms, thereby preserving a vivid and profound psychological expressiveness in his subjects—a quality magnificently demonstrated in this particular painting. The height of his fame came at the turn of the century. He traveled throughout Europe, exhibiting his works in Paris and Germany, where he met Ottilie Roederstein. Wealthy patrons were lining up to commission works from him. It was evidently during this period that he painted this work and presented it to Ottilie Roederstein, a gesture documented by the label on the reverse. The label reads:
Dedication and inscribed: “to Mrs. Roederstein”
Translated from German:
Dedication: “To Mrs. Roederstein.” It further specifies:
van Rysselberghe Theo, Ghent, Nov. 23, 1862, † Saint Clair, Dec. 13, 1926, Dedication to Roederstein of one of his major works at the Neue Pinakothek in Munich. This inscription underscores the exceptional value of the provenance, linking this piece to the master’s major masterpieces held at the Neue Pinakothek in Munich. This indicates that before being gifted to Roederstein, the painting had been exhibited at the Pinakothek in Munich. The work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued by Olivier Bertrand on June 12, 2018. Its provenance also includes a period at the Nickel-Zadow Gallery in Nuremberg. It is monogrammed in the lower left corner with the artist’s studio stamp “VR.” The painting is in excellent condition.