Successful Exhibition in Paris 1901

Illustration from the newspaper article 
L'Éclair 11 May 1901

 

On Thursday, 2 May 1901, an exhibition of Richard Hall opened at Galerie Georges Petit. Located at 8, rue de Sèze, it was open from 2 PM to 7 PM. The exhibition received extensive coverage in the French press. Thanks to these articles, it’s possible to form an impression of the event, even though I don’t have access to a catalogue or images. The tone of the reporting was influenced by the newspapers’ political leanings: the most detailed review was published by the left-leaning La Dépêche Toulouse, which did not hold back its criticism. The article describes the exhibition in great detail, helping to reconstruct what works were likely on display.

Georges Petit was one of the most renowned gallery owners in Paris. Archives from his business have been digitized and available in French National Library’s Gallica service. However, I wasn’t able to find materials related to this specific exhibition, so for now, we don’t know exactly which works were shown. The French National Institute of Art History (INHA) has published catalogues of Galerie Georges Petit exhibitions in a four-volume series titled Les expositions de la Galerie Georges Petit (1881–1934), Répertoire des artistes et liste de leurs œuvres, but it is not available in Finnish libraries.

Opening Reception

Le Figaro reported on 4 May 1901 about the exhibition’s opening. According to the paper, a stylish crowd gathered in Georges Petit’s salons for the opening of Swedish painter Richard Hall’s exhibition. The paper listed the following attendees: Duchess d’Uzès, Marquis de Nédonchel, Marquis de Castellane, Count de Beaumont, singer and actress Jeanne Granier, Madame L. de Biré, Marquis de Bonneval, Mr. and Mrs. Coppens de Fontenay, Marquis de Motesquieu, Baroness de Langlade, Viscount de Durfort, Duchess de Noailles, and Duchess de La Rochefoucault.

The portrait of Marquis de Castellane had been shown at the Paris Salon in 1900, so it’s possible it was also included in the Georges Petit exhibition. It appears that the portraits of Duchess d’Uzès and Duchess de La Rochefoucault were completed the following year. Le Figaro concluded its report by stating that the success of the opening was well deserved, as “the works gathered in the collection show that Richard Hall is rightly considered one of the most esteemed portrait painters of the moment.”

Portrait du Marquis de Castellane, 1900 
Source: Paris Salon exhibition catalogue 1900

 

 Works in the Exhibition

According to La Dépêche Toulouse, the exhibition featured portraits, paintings depicting monks, and landscapes. The portrait subjects were mainly aristocrats. Named specifically are portraits of Princess Béatrix de Bourbon, Albert Brasseur, and Jeanne Granier. Among the monastic-themed works were at least Moines en procession (“Monks in Procession”) and Fin de travail (“End of Work”).

From the landscape paintings, the article mentions a large rural scene Retour des Champs (Finistère) (“Return from the Fields, Finistère”), Gardeuse d'Oies (“Goose Keeper”), and Village de Cortaillod (Suisse) (“Village of Cortaillod, Switzerland”). It would be interesting to see what Hall’s landscapes looked like—so far, I haven’t found any. Based on the titles, it seems they also included human figures. At least Hall’s mother was from the village of Cortaillod, which explains his visit there.

Popular Success

Le Gaulois reported on 8 May 1901 that Richard Hall’s exhibition was one of the season’s most successful, attracting large crowds daily. According to the paper, praise was abundant for the artist “whose works offer such honest and powerful studies, and for the portraitist who interprets the soul of his models so profoundly: some of his brilliant pieces make Mr. Richard Hall a true psychologist — and what a magnificent palette, what richness and flexibility of color!”

L'Éclair published a profile of Hall on 11 May 1901 titled “Men of the Day. Richard Hall, Swedish Painter.” Alongside the brief biography was a portrait of the artist, which serves as the illustration for this blog post. The article also noted that Hall’s portraits were currently popular both at the Paris Salon and in his private exhibition at Georges Petit’s gallery. That year, Hall had two portraits on display at the Salon.

Le Gaulois reported on 13 May 1901 that the exhibition would remain open for three more days. According to the article, the exhibition had drawn all of Paris to the Gallery Georges Petit. It seems the exhibition marked Hall’s breakthrough, after which he received numerous portrait commissions. Over the next 14 years, he painted many portraits.

Criticism

As mentioned, La Dépêche Toulouse took a rather critical stance toward the exhibition. In a lengthy review published on 28 May 1901, the paper claimed that the exhibition had been boosted by “advertisements in sensationalist newspapers,” due to the artist’s aristocratic clientele. According to the article, “[...] many of them lack charm, and it seems the models did not bring the artist much luck. Most are dressed in visiting attire, feathered hats on their heads, silk and satin gowns, and their poses were not such as to inspire the artist.”

Additionally, the critic from La Dépêche Toulouse wrote that “Hall’s colors are heavy and monotonous, his brush lacks strength and originality, and his portraits are generally conventionally correct, without anything that would reveal inspiration or curiosity in observing life.” A positive exception was a small sketch of Jeanne Granier: “Everything is in its right and proper place in this portrait: the natural posture, the precisely captured expression of the intellectual actress, harmonious colors. Richard Hall is clearly mistaken when he creates large works [...]”

The critic was also unimpressed by the monk-themed paintings. According to the review, the colors in Moines en procession were banal, and in Fin de Travail, the lush landscape was spoiled by a bespectacled monk. However, Retour des Champs (Finistère) received praise for its painterly quality and local color. The reviewer’s political stance clearly influenced the critique. At the same time, it becomes evident that the exhibition featured a diverse selection of Hall’s works.