Jeanne Selmersheim-Desgrange
1877-1958 | French

La table aux jardin
(The Table in the Garden)

Signed “J. Selmersheim-Desgrange” (lower right)
Oil on canvas

In this effusive composition entitled La table aux jardin, French Neo-Impressionist Jeanne Selmersheim-Desgrange renders a tranquil still life. The monumental canvas is filled with bold strokes of vibrant color characteristic of the artist’s vivid palette and a distinctive application of paint. She fully embraced this avant-garde, scientific approach to color theory, using high-impact color in complementary combinations and bold, block-like brushstrokes to capture the atmosphere of this summer sunset.

La table aux jardin captures a cheerful bouquet of rosy blooms, an assortment of ripened fruits and various jugs spread across the table linens. A lush and sun-drenched garden beyond the table provides a pleasing view, offering the viewer a moment of contemplation and peace. Exemplary of the colorful compositions that define her oeuvre, the oil on canvas is evocative of Selmersheim-Desgrange’s Flowers, which was targeted in the infamous Annonciade Museum art heist in 1961 in Saint-Tropez.

Born in 1877 to a family of architects and artists, Jeanne Selmersheim-Desgrange began her career as a jewelry designer. She married the architect Pierre Selmersheim while in her 20s and subsequently made the decision to shift from the decorative arts to painting. She studied under Paul Signac and the two fell in love, beginning their lifelong relationship in 1909. The artists soon moved to Cap d’Antibes, France together, though they were both married, and Selmersheim-Desgrange gave birth to their daughter in October of 1913. The new home’s cheery garden, abundance of light and proximity to the sea informed her artistic output, as seen in the present work. The artist became a regular exhibitor at the Paris Salon des Indépendants beginning in 1909, and her vibrant compositions have received greater attention in recent years. Today, Selmersheim-Desgrange works reside in prestigious museum collections worldwide, including the Indianapolis Museum of Art, the Musée de Grenoble, the Finnish National Gallery and the Portland Art Museum.

Circa 1910