Residences and Life Events 1901–1914

Richard Hall in his Paris studio.
Undated photograph
Source: Hall Richard Pintor [1930s–1960s], British Library

I’ve previously reviewed Richard Hall’s earlier residences in France in the blog post Places of residence 1883–1900. In 1900, Hall returned permanently from Brittany, and his address was solely in Paris at Avenue Victor-Hugo 43. Once again, I’ve consulted the Musée d’Orsay’s database on the Paris Salons, which lists the artist’s addresses up to 1914. That year also marks the final exhibition for which digitized Salon records are available online.

Breakthrough in Paris

Hall’s career as a portrait painter took off in May 1901, when he held an exhibition at Galerie Georges Petit in Paris. The show, which featured portraits among other works, received extensive coverage in the French press and attracted a large audience. Following this exhibition, Hall became a sought-after portraitist. It appears that after 1901, he painted portraits during all his travels—which were numerous. In addition to the United States, he visited many European countries.

According to the Musée d’Orsay database, Hall acquired French citizenship in either 1901 or 1902. From 1902 onward, the Salon records include the note naturalisé Français. Furthermore, beginning in 1904, Hall is listed as a member of the Société des Artistes Français, the association responsible for organizing the annual Paris Salons. The society was founded in 1881, when the French state ceased managing the exhibitions.

In 1905, Hall had a son with French Adèle Françoise Marie Foco, who was 20 years old at the time. Their son was named Richard Georges Hall (September 3, 1905 – February 22, 1985). In 1908 Hall married Swedish Anna Elisabeth von Mühlenfels (March 30 1872 - February 15 1933).

Paris and New York

Hall lived at Avenue Victor-Hugo 43 in Paris until 1910. From 1911 to 1914, his Paris address was Rue Lauriston 40. Both locations are in the city center and close to one another. The undated photograph above was likely taken in one of these locations.

In 1902, Hall visited New York for the first time to paint portraits of members of the Vanderbilt family. He later stated that he spent winters in New York, although he did not report his New York addresses to the Paris Salon. In spring 1904, he lived at 80 West 40th Street in New York, as revealed in letters I’ll return to later.

Travels Abroad

In an interview with the Finnish newspaper Uusi Suometar (October 24, 1909), Hall stated that in 1901 he undertook an extended study trip to Belgium and the Netherlands to view art collections. He also visited relatives in Finland. Additionally, he mentioned extensive travels in 1904 and 1905, including a visit to London and participation in the Royal Academy exhibition.

In summer 1906, Hall was in Öland, Sweden, where he met his future wife, Baroness Anna von Mühlenfels. In 1909, Hall held a major exhibition at the House of Nobility in Helsinki and continued painting portraits in Finland into 1910. Between 1910 and 1911, he traveled in Brazil. Information about Hall’s travels remains incomplete, and he may have journeyed far more widely than currently documented.