346. Self Portrait by Emile Delobre

Our discovery of a collection of dust-covered paintings introduces to the art world a new and mysterious figure, a prolific artist of the Impressionist school - Emile Victor Auguste Delobre. No longer here to speak for himself, it will be the task of art historians, art critics, and art lovers to reveal his art.

Emile Delobre (1873-1956) was born in Paris. The facts of his life speak of a young man whose enchantment with art began early. At age 14 he was already enrolled in the Ecole des Arts Decoratifs; by 17 studying at the Beaux-Arts. There he was instructed and inspired by the unusual Gustave Moreau, among others. His fellow classmates included Matisse, Marquet, Roualt, Dufy, and Manguin.

He was a winner of prizes at Beaux-Arts. Later, when he chose to exhibit at the Paris Salons, there too he was acclaimed. His talents have also been acknowledged more recently, in an oblique way. According to Christopher Wright in "Article of the Forger" (Dodd Mead, 1985), Emile was "an accomplished painter". Nathan Wildenstein "found" him while "... he was in the Louvre, copying a picture with his accustomed skill and accuracy... [Wildenstein] was so impressed that, then and there, he asked Delobre to come work for him." Delobre worked at Wildenstein's gallery as a consultant-restorer until he retired at 72.

301. Woman Washing In The Stream by Emile Delobre

Wright has attributed Georges de la Tour's The Fortune Teller to Emile Delobre, a painting that was purchased by the Metropolitan Museum of Art from the Wildenstein Gallery in 1960 for $675,000. Christopher Wright believes that Delobre forged the painting and has attributed to Emile Delobre a very sophisticated technique, masterly skill and exceptional talent.

Delobre's works are also to be found in the Gustave Moreau museum in Paris (1898, Les Lyres Mortes) and twelve pieces in the Huntington Museum in Windsor, Connecticut.

But what is the subject matter of the pieces of work that speak for Emile Delobre? What do they say?

It is obvious that many were not works intended for public sale. They were painted purely out of pleasure. Relieving himself of the pressures of pleasing a general public, he freed himself to explore his own ideas and methods, seeking his own expression. And what did he choose to paint while relaxing after dinner, or on vacations or weekends?

His subject matter speaks of a man concerned with the enduring beauty of everyday life. His beloved landscapes are gentle and romantic. His quest for the interesting landscape often took him to the countryside of France: Normandy, with its fishing villages and orchards; the Loire Valley, with its rolling rivers; and the south of France with its sunny beaches. He also traveled outside of the country to Italy, Holland, and Tunisia, travels that inspired many lovely paintings.

333. Marthe In Red Jacket by Emile Delobre

The portraits of his family (with whom he loved his whole life) include his parents, sisters Louise and Marthe, and nephew Albert (who he raised). Here we find the intimacy and affection reflective of a gentle and harmonious life. His self-portraits are most interesting - revealing and at the same time mysterious. Delobre has provided us with a pictorial chronology of himself through the years until his old age. His vast repertoire includes classically posed nudes, delicate and serene, and floral and still-life studies, all painted with a reverence for the beautiful.

Emile Delobre lived a modest life. Perhaps, overshadowed by the artistic giants of his age, he comes to us to be rediscovered as a painter of great sensitivity and grace. His purpose in painting seems to not have been to revolutionize art, but rather to reaffirm it as the representation of all that man finds beautiful and inspiring since the beginning of time. In the depiction of ordinary people, we see their simplicity and nobility. In his interpretation of nature - whether it be tree or flower, or sea, or sky - we are reminded of a world that was, and remains, gentle and beautiful.

As Emile Delobre emerges from obscurity, we will surely find a master of the impressionist technique, committed to the traditions of Art, and devoted to the expression of universal human sentiment.