An artwork on Galleree from Minneapolis Institute of Art.
About the artwork
Portrait of Mlle. Hortense Valpinçonc. 1871
Artist: Edgar Degas
French, 1834 - 1917
Mademoiselle Hortense Valpinçon
29 3/4 x 44 3/4 in. (75.57 x 113.67 cm) (canvas)
41 1/2 × 56 1/2 × 5 in. (105.41 × 143.51 × 12.7 cm) (outer frame)
Oil on mattress ticking
Painting
France
19th century
The John R. Van Derlip Fund
In the gentle embrace of a Norman countryside, there stood a quaint estate known as Ménil-Hubert, a place where laughter mingled with sunlight and the air was filled with creativity. This enchanting retreat belonged to Paul Valpinçon, Degas's childhood companion, a sanctuary where the artist frequently sought refuge from the bustling life of Paris. Here, surrounded by the warm familiarity of a family and the picturesque landscapes, Degas found both inspiration and a delightful array of models—captive yet willing souls who would grace the canvas of his imagination.
Among all the portraits that sprung from these idyllic visits, one stands out like the first bloom of spring: the depiction of Hortense, the eldest and only daughter of the Valpinçon family. Her innocent charm and sparkling presence burst forth from the canvas in a way that captured the hearts of many, making this work one of the most cherished highlights of Degas’s illustrious career.
The story of how this particular portrait came to life whispers like the rustling leaves in a soft breeze. During a recollection in the 1930s, Hortense, now Madame Jacques Fourchy, shared the tale of its creation. She spoke of the day Degas rushed to Ménil-Hubert, unprepared and without proper canvas. He found himself improvising, guided by the warmth of hospitality that enveloped him. With a resourceful spark of creativity, he took a remnant of mattress ticking—a striking blue-and-white striped fabric—and turned it into a canvas that would bear his artistic vision. While many brushed aside her memory as a fading anecdote, time would later reveal the truth; in 1996, the patterned edges of the painting confirmed her story, a testament to the unyielding connection between memory and art.
As the years flowed gently by, this cherished portrait remained nestled within the embrace of the Valpinçon family, a silent witness to the passage of time. But in 1930, Hortense made the decision to part with it, selling the beloved artwork to Wildenstein & Co. Soon after, in 1947, it found a new home at The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, where it continues to inspire and enchant all who behold it, a radiant reminder of the bonds of friendship, the innocence of childhood, and the beautiful stories that lie woven within the strokes of a master’s brush.
About the artist
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