Rose and Thistle
Artist
Louis Ernest Lessieux
(French, 1848 - 1925)
CultureFrench
Date1898
MediumPen | Ink | Watercolor | Paper
DimensionsOverall, Frame: 31 3/8 × 39 1/8 in. (79.7 × 99.4 cm)
Overall, Support: 25 × 33 1/2 in. (63.5 × 85.1 cm)
Overall, Image: 23 1/4 × 31 in. (59.1 × 78.7 cm)
Overall, Support: 25 × 33 1/2 in. (63.5 × 85.1 cm)
Overall, Image: 23 1/4 × 31 in. (59.1 × 78.7 cm)
InscribedSigned, dated "'98" and titled.
Credit LineGift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.
Object number71.2647
Not on view
DescriptionDrawing done in pen and ink and watercolor.Label TextLouis-Ernest Lessieux French (1848-1925) Rose and Thistle, 1898 Pen and ink and watercolor Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. 71.2647 This charming watercolor of a romantic knight and his lady was created as a preliminary study for an advertisement, which probably took the form of a poster. The decorative pattern of figures and foliage reveals the influence of the Art Nouveau style, which reached its height in Europe in the late 19th century. The flawless oval of the young woman's face, her long neck, and luminous, alabaster skin reflect Lessieux's ideal of feminine perfection. Edited By: DS Edited Date: 08/2005 Approved By: MHM Approval Date: 10/13/2005Exhibition History"Grand Designs: Preliminary Drawings and Oil Sketches from The Chrysler Museum", Prints and Drawings Gallery, The Chrysler Museum, April 2 - June 22, 1994 "Venus and Adonis: Aspects of the Figurative Ideal in 19th- and 20th-Century Art," The Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA, July 13 - November 3, 1996 "Behind the Seen: The Chrysler's Hidden Museum," Large Changing Gallery, Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Va., October 21, 2005 - February 19, 2006. Published ReferencesJeff Harrison, _Collecting with Vision: Treasures From the Chrysler Museum of Art_ (London: D. Giles Ltd., 2007), 94, fig. 112. ISBN: 978-0-940744-72-1
