618

Mary Jett Franklin (American/Georgia/Paris, 1842-1928), "Dans la sacristie de [l'eglise] Bagneux (In the Sacristy of the Church at Bagneux)," 1900,

oil on canvas backed by masonite, signed and localized "Paris" lower right, titled on handwritten label en verso with affixed biography, frame backing with remnants of French framer and shipping labels,
H.- 39 in., W.- 32 in., Framed- H.- 51 in., W.- 43 1/2 in.

  • Provenance: The Estate of Laura Simon Nelson, formerly married to Dr. James W. Nelson, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
  • Exhibited: Paris, Salon de 1901, Societe des artistes francais, Grand Palais, no. 824; Chicago, The Art Institute, 14th Annual Exhibition of Oil Paintings and Sculptures by American Artists, 1901, no. 114.
  • Literature: To be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonne on the artist by Eve B. Mayes; Explication des peintures, sculptures et autres ouvrages…. expose a Grand Palais (Paris: Imprimerie Paul du Pont, 1901) p. 82; The Art Institute of Chicago Catalog of the 14th Annual Exhibition of Oil Paintings and Sculptures by American Artists (Chicago: Art Institute, 1901), p. 24.

    Note: Mary Jett Franklin, an extraordinary and successful female artist in her time, has been forgotten and effaced from the annals of history- a sad and typical denouement for women artists and artists of color. The Georgia Museum of Art and a catalogue raisonne (in preparation) on the artist by Eve B. Mayes is working to resurrect her, and this beautiful painting will be included in her oeuvre. Miss Franklin was from a prominent Athens, Georgia, family, and she was one of the few women admitted to the Lucy Cobb Institute in Athens and to the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia. The Civil War and her father's death afterward brought Franklin back to Athens where she headed the Department of Fine Art at the Lucy Cobb Institute, and regularly exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts- her works received numerous awards, accolades and often sold for remarkably high prices ~$1,000, which is over $30,000 by current purchasing standards.

    After her mother passed, Franklin left the U.S. in 1889 and studied abroad in Belgium, Spain and North Africa before settling in to Paris, where she remained for almost 30 years. Franklin enrolled in the Academe Collarossi, and studied under Louis Deschamps, Jean Geoffroy, Raphael Collin, and Henri Morriset. Franklin became a fixture in the Parisian art scene; she was one of the first women to exhibit at the prestigious Parisian salons for which this work was shown in 1901. A similar composition of altar boys titled "Dans l'eglise" was exhibited the following year at the Salon and won a medal. Both works were subsequently sent to the United States for further exhibitions at the Art Institute of Chicago, Pennsylvania Academy of Art, as well her hometown of Athens, Georgia. At the age of 78 Franklin returned to Georgia, joined the Athens Art Association, and maintained a studio at the University of Georgia where she frequently lectured and gave lessons in the last years of her life.
  • Condition: The painting exhibits past signs of professional restoration. Under UV light, it appears as if the canvas had been left rolled and partially folded/flattened for a period of time, as there are equally spaced horizontal creases that have been inpainted with smaller vertical areas at the center of the canvas. Along these creases, there are two probably small wax repairs. The painting has been laid down on masonite to stablize the support. A handful of small inpainted "touch-ups" are scattered throughout. In overall very good restored condition. Painting is structurally sound with a nice surface void of craquelure. Please see additional photographs taken under UV light.
    ________________________________________________________________________________
    ALL PROPERTY IS SOLD "AS IS." NO STATEMENT REGARDING CONDITION OF ANY ITEM, WHETHER IT IS MADE ORALLY AT THE AUCTION OR ANY OTHER TIME, OR IN WRITING IN THE CATALOGUE OR ELSEWHERE, SHALL BE DEEMED TO BE A WARRANTY, REPRESENTATION, OR ASSUMPTION OF LIABILITY.


    Condition is not stated in the description of the item. The absence of a condition report does not mean that the item is free of damage or condition issues. Some items do show signs of age or wear. CCAG strongly suggests that you do not bid without requesting a condition report. Requests for condition reports will not be honored after 5 p.m. CST on the Tuesday prior to the auction.

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November 9, 2024 10:00 AM CST
New Orleans, LA, US

Crescent City Auction Gallery

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