Jan & John Maggs

Antiques and Art

The Gypsy Girl

A copy by Albert Jean Adolphe (1865 – 1940)

of the original by Frans Hals which hangs in the Louvre

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Adolphe, a well-listed American painter, had the good fortune to study painting in Paris during the period when the Louvre encouraged young painters to study and copy the works of masters on display in the museum. Indeed, while painting in the Louvre, Adolphe met James McNeil Whistler, who subsequently became his mentor. Adolphe’s signature is in the upper left of the painting.

In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries the Louvre Museum had a special significance for artists because of the access granted to its enormous collections. Here, the art student could learn from the revered masters of the Renaissance, study the art of the ancients and view contemporary works. Paintings were hung from waist level to ceiling throughout the massive museum and sculptures and casts of ancient works were lined up in a gallery deliberately set up for the artist's use. Studying in the Louvre was a significant component of art education in Paris. Through the controlled process of copying directly from the paintings, Adolphé and thousands of others learned from the masters of the past, while dreaming that their own works might one day be hung for inspection by a new generation. Artists were also subject to the scrutiny and criticism of the passersby as well as to the immediate response of their colleagues -- a learning situation that was not replicated at any other institution in the world. Their copies of familiar masterworks could also be shipped home for sale, adding to the pocketbook of the young men and women who flocked to Paris to enmesh themselves in the intense artistic milieu.

The Louvre was also a place where young artists could hope to meet established figures. A story is told of Adolphé painting in the Louvre one day when a fellow student pointed out James McNeil Whistler, who was also working in the museum. She encouraged Adolphé to approach the famous artist to ask for a critique. Whistler kindly commented on the young artist's copy and then took him into an adjoining gallery where they discussed the paintings. The two met in the Louvre on several occasions to chat more, and Whistler showed up unannounced at Adolphé's Montparnasse studio on several occasions -- to the astonishment of Adolphé and his friends.

For more details on the Louvre’s former policy on copying and Adolphe’s place in it, use this link: https://tfaoi.org/aa/2aa/2aa632.htm

The painting is in good condition and on its original stretcher. It might benefit from cleaning by a professional, but our conservator feels that the painting is stable and that cleaning is not necessary.

Sight: 18 ½” X 21 ½”; Frame: 22 ½” X 25 ½