We would like to thank Marc-Henri Tellier for confirming the authenticity of this work. It will be included in the Catalogue raisonné de l'œuvre de Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer currently in preparation. A certificate will be delivered to the buyer.

Provenance:

Barry Friedman, Ltd., New York. (label affixed to frame reverse, erroneously identifying the sitter as Edmond Rostand and with a date of c. 1905-1910.)

Lot Note:

The present portrait likely depicts Pierre Villey (1879-1933), a scholar of remarkable resilience. At the age of four, Villey became blind, but despite this, he pursued advanced studies, earning accolades at school and eventually passing the agrégation (a competitive examination for teaching positions) in literature, graduating first in his class. In 1908, he wrote his doctoral thesis on the philosopher and humanist Montaigne's Essays at the Theirs Foundation, outside of Paris. Les Essais de Michel de Montaigne, édition conforme au texte de l'exemplaire de Bordeaux was published by Villey in 1914, with another edition being published by Félix Alcan in 1922-23, reedited in 1924. In Lévy-Dhurmer's portrait, Villey holds his book as he intently stares above it into the distance. The diffused paint surface creates an almost dreamy atmosphere to the composition, as if the subject is lost within a scholarly world of his own.

Villey was also famous for his dedication to the cause of the visually impaired, publishing several works on the world of the blind, which were translated into numerous languages. From 1924 until his death, he served as the Secretary General of the Valentin Haüy Association, an organization dedicated to the blind. Sadly, Villey died at the age of 54 on October 24, 1933, when the Caen-Paris express train he was on derailed.

Framed: 28 x 33 x 3 in.

The unlined canvas is in overall good condition. There are a few small scattered surface losses, for instance at the bottom edge and at the bottom right corner. There are a few areas of inpainting, along the left and right edges, at the top left corner, at top center and in the figure's hair. These areas are visible in natural light and under UV light. There is a small approx. 1/2 in. stray green mark at top left in the books. Additional images available upon request.

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