Featured Old woman in Brittany dress around 1880 - who could be the artist?

Hi everybody, a few years ago I bought this portrait at an auction in Holland. It shows an elder woman in a folk costume from the region of Pont-Aven, France, around 1880. The research I did in the past years only proved that there were many artists from all around the worls studying there in that era. To name a few: Henry Mosler (US), Aloysius O'Kelly (Ireland), Robert Wylie (England) Hugo Salmson (Sweden), Felicien Rops (Belgium), Herman van den Anker (Netherlands), Jakub Schikaneder (Austria) and French painters such as Bonvin. And they all painted local people in their regional dress.
It is unsigned and measurements are 17 x 23".
I would be very grateful if anybody has any suggestions on the artist.

 

Welkom bij het forum, Leiden.
Could you please go back to 'edit', and click on the 'full image' button for the photos? That way everyone can see them in their full glory.

Beautiful painting. Have you checked if there is a signature underneath the frame?
Pont Aven had an important but ever-changing artist colony, so it could be difficult to find your artist without a siggy. But we have some amazing searchers on the forum, so wait for the others

The costume, while Breton, doesn't seem to be from Pont Aven itself. It looks like it is either from one of the areas further north in Cornouaille, or from somewhere in Léon, just north of Cornouaille. Difficult to pinpoint exactly, because Breton bonnets changed even more over the last 150 years than those of other European regions.
Artists took trips from Pont Aven to neighbouring regions, maybe that helps in your search. You'd be looking for an artist who also travelled north of Pont Aven.

 

Hi Leiden!

Welcome to Antiquers...............

 

Thank you so much for your reply! Some time ago I sent a picture to the Musee Bigouden (folk culture) and their specialist suggested the head dress was from the region of Finistere (between Pont-Aven and Benodet), so this does match your thoughts.
I didn't get the painting out of the frame yet, I didn't want to damage the paper tape at the back but maybe I should...
Many thanks,
Herb from Leiden

 

Thank you Judy, I hope to be able to contribute to this forum in the future. I expect that I can provide good answers when it comes to Dutch art.
Kind regards,
Herb form Leiden, Holland.

 

Herb, do you know something about De Stijl? If so, maybe you can shed a light on this Vilmos Huszár woodblock print, a post by fellow Dutchman Gerspee.
https://www.antiquers.com/threads/vilmos-huszár-woodcut.33188/

 

Oh how lovely ! Whomever painted her was very accomplished indeed. Id definitely pop it out of the frame,thats too good to NOT have a signature somewhere.

 

Toothless, poor thing. (Hence the soup.) She wouldn't be considered very old today.

Debora

 

Good observation Debora!

 

I will look after it tomorrow

 

Thank you!

 

You're welcome............it's nice to have you.

 

Thank you for your comment, this is very true and it's what struck me in the first place when I came across this painting at bthe auction. Another thing is that the woman looks directly at the viewer, while in almost all comparable paintings the portrayed person looks downward.
Best regards from Holland,
Herb

 

Thank you Johnny, I think I will do so in the near future,
best regards from Holland

 

OOPS, I forgot to welcome you here...
WELCOME, HERB

 

I looked into it and it seems to me that Gerspee has contacted all the museums and other organisations - and even more - that I would think of (I do know a thing or two about De Stijl and other avant-gardemovements of this era. I graduated on Kurt Schwitters and I did research for one of the many projects dedicated to De Stijl in my hometown Leiden last year, commemorating the fact that the magazine that gave its name to the movement was founded by Theo van Doesburg in Leiden 100 years ago). So I am afraid that I can't be of any help. The only thing is that Huszar outlived most of the other Stijl-members and was more or less 'forgotten' during the decades after WWII, living a secluded life in a small village in Holland, making art that was far from avant-gardistic until his death in 1960. The preparations of the celebrations of 100 years De Stijl have brought a few unknown works of his hand to light, who knows what else there is?

 

That is wonderful, and good to know. We always like to know who to tag on the forum.
There are quite a few Dutch members here, btw. I am one, from Brabant, Ger is another one. Apparently we outnumber the Brits. Those .... Dutch!

 

I had no idea, but already the reactions I received - yours not in the least - were far more helpful than those I got on other art/antiquesforums. I posted my reply about the Huszar woodcuts on Gers thread as well.
I hope I will be able to help out on some questions in the future,
Best regards,
Herb

 

I just read it, thank you for your trouble. Ger has some extra homework now, which he was looking for. I hope it helps, he will keep us posted.