A beautiful Oil on Panel Painting of the Paris Opéra Grand Salon by French Painter Marcel Cosson.
Born Jean-Louis Marcel Cosson in Bordeaux in 1878, he trained as an artist and, in 1901, received an honorable mention at the Salon des Artistes Français followed by a medal in 1911.
He exhibited at the Salon de la Société des Beaux Arts, as well as at the Salon des Tuileries.
Over the years, he participated in numerous exhibitions in France and abroad, notably in New York and London.
His fame grew and his pieces became more and more thought after.
Marcel Cosson painted what he saw; Very active in Parisian artistic circles, he reproduced scenes from performance halls, circuses, the Opera and its backstage, but also scenes from high society and bourgeois life in brasseries, cafés, cabaret, restaurants and racecourses.
Strongly influenced by the work of Edgar Degas, Cosson has a particular affection for Opera scenes, where he positions himself and invites us to join him as a privileged spectator into the intimate space of the dancers.
He thus depicts the entire universe of these young women in the secret of their preparations: behind the curtain, in the private wings of the Opera house and the dressing rooms…
These scenes of spontaneity, grace and carefree freshness are the most sought after by collectors.
Cosson was able to create his own style, by mixing an impressionist technique in his delicate yet strong touch and the layered ‘Impastos’ which reveal broad brushstrokes as well as the choice of his bright and frank colors which refer more to Fauvism.
Marcel cosson passed away in Paris in 1956.
Our painting is one of those works sought after by collectors.
Depicting young ballerinas in the Grand Salon of the Opéra Garnier in Paris.
Here the benefactors and visitors could meet the dancers after the performance.
This scene gives us an idea of the atmosphere that might have reigned during these gatherings after the evening performance.
Young artists stroll around in their ceremonial gowns, responding to the requests of admirers.
A very lively scene, depicting a slice of Parisian life in the early 1900s.
Oil on panel, signed lower right, in a gorgeous Louis XV-style giltwood frame.
Unframed 21 X 25
Framed 30 X 33