Femme du Monde
Artist
Kees van Dongen
(Dutch, 1877-1968)
CultureDutch
Dateca. 1929
MediumOil on canvas
DimensionsOverall: 76 3/4 x 76 3/4 in. (194.9 x 194.9 cm)
Overall, Frame: 83 1/4 x 82 3/4 in. (211.5 x 210.2 cm)
Overall, Frame: 83 1/4 x 82 3/4 in. (211.5 x 210.2 cm)
InscribedSigned lower center: van Dongen.
Credit LineGift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.
Object number71.714
On View
Chrysler Museum of Art, Gallery 219
Label TextKees van Dongen Dutch, 1887–1968 Femme du Monde, ca. 1929 Oil on canvas Kees van Dongen’s art embodies the glitter and glamour of Parisian life during the 1920s. The artist’s love of the high life was rivaled only by his affection for women. “I love anything that shines,” he once said, “precious stones that sparkle, fabrics that shimmer, beautiful women who arouse carnal desire…painting lets me possess it all.” The identity of this spirited flapper is something of a mystery. First exhibited under the title of Femme du Monde (Woman of the World) in 1929, the sitter was for years identified as one Monna Lils. It is likely, however, that this name is a punning pseudonym that alludes to the Mona Lisa and the actual sitter—the celebrated actress Lili Damita who later married Errol Flynn. Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. 71.714 ProvenanceGaboriaud, Paris; Robert Lebel, Paris; Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.; Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. to the Chrysler Museum, 1971. Exhibition History"French Paintings 1789-1929 from the Collection of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.," Dayton Art Institute, Dayton, Ohio, March 25 - May 22, 1960. "Group Exhibition," Acquavella Galleries, New York, Feb. 1-24, 1962. (Exhib. cat. no. 13). "A Comprehensive Exhibition of Paintings 1900-1925 by van Dongen," Leonard Hutton Galleries, New York, Nov. 16 - Dec. 18, 1965. (Exhib. cat. no. 29). "Van Dongen: A Fauve in the City," Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Canada, January 22 - April 19, 2009. Published ReferencesR. Edouard-Joseph. _Dictionnaire Biographique III_. Paris: Art & édition. 1934: p. 376, ill. Priscilla C. Colt and Charles H. Elam. _French Paintings 1789-1929 from the Collection of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr._. Dayton Art Institute, Dayton, Ohio. 1960, #101. Louis Chaumeil. _Van Dongen: L'Homme et l'Artiste -- La Vie et l'Oeuvre_. Geneva. 1967: p. 312, fig. 66. Chrysler Museum. _Selections from the Permanent Collection: The Chrysler Museum_. Norfolk, VA: Chrysler Museum of Art. 1982: p. 74. Peter C. Sutton. _A Guide to Dutch Art in America_. Washington, D.C.: Netherlands-American Amity Trust; Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Erdmans. 1986: p. 207. Jefferson C. Harrison. _The Chrysler Museum Handbook of the European and American Collections: Selected Paintings, Sculpture and Drawings_. The Chrysler Museum. 1991. # 134, p. 177.
