Want more images or videos?

Request additional images or videos from the seller

1 of 9

Claude Monet
L'ami Dermit by Claude Monet
1859

Name: L'ami Dermit by Claude Monet
Brand: Claude Monet
Rating: 5 (4 reviews)

$488,500List Price

About the Item

Claude Monet 1840-1926 French L'ami dermit Inscribed, signed and dated lower left: à mon ami Dermit / O. Monet / Havre.59. Black chalk and white chalk on blue paper Claude Monet holds the distinction of one of the most beloved artists of our time and a pioneer of the Impressionist movement. His earliest successes provide the rare opportunity to see the raw talent of the young man who would one day be known as a master. In his 1859 chalk on paper L'ami dermit, a young Claude Monet captures an intimate caricature bursting with the same technical skill and sensitivity that would come to mark the artist's monumental career. Working with measured strokes of pastels and chalk, Monet’s effusive work breathes life into his friend Dermit. The subject stands with his hands in the pockets of his trousers, leaning in a sort of modern contrapposto with a comically small body and oversized head. Monet masterfully captures the glistening eyes of his friend, who gazes away from the viewer with his contemplative expression. With his casual pose and the lit cigarette loosely held in his lips, Dermit appears pensive and lost in thought. At once jovial and tender, the portrait Monet captures exudes a true-to-life quality, even with its amusing exaggerations. Monet’s explorations in caricature coincide with his attendance at the Le Havre school, where he studied drawing under Francois-Charles Ochard. Of this early period in his artistic development, Monet later recalled: “I drew garlands in the margins of my books and covered the blue paper of my exercise books with the most fantastical ornaments, which included highly irreverent drawings of my masters, full-face or profile, with maximum distortion.” Looking at his application of pastel and chalk to the very same blue schoolbook paper in L’ami Dermit, the playfulness of the young artist is clear. Monet began to gift these satirical images to his classmates, eventually garnering enough praise to sell them for a profit — about 20 francs — per portrait. This success led him to exhibit these caricatures at Gravier’s, the framer’s shop in Le Havre. Monet once described watching the passerby gather at the window to smile and laugh at his drawings and said, “I was just bursting with pride.” Only 19 years old when he sketched L’ami Dermit, Monet had no way to know that these exhibitions and small sales would be the first of many in his illustrious career, with auction records now reaching over $100,000,000. World-class museums around the globe have collected these desirable and humorous caricatures, from the Louvre in Paris to the Art Institute of Chicago, which has amassed a particularly impressive collection. The images’ lasting humor speaks to a sort of artistic brotherhood— and continually finds favor among collectors worldwide. Fewer than one hundred of these caricatures survive today, and the overwhelming majority of these are in museums. Our drawing has the distinction of bearing the desirable signature “O. Monet,” a rare occurrence as the artist only went by his formal name Oscar-Claude Monet during the beginning of his career. L’ami Dermit was so beloved by Monet that he kept it himself, and it remained with Monet’s son Michel until four decades after his father’s death. Dated 1859 Unframed: 22 1/4" high x 14 3/4" wide Framed: 32 1/8" high x 25" wide Provenance: Possibly presented by the artist to the subject, M. Dermit, Le Havre Michel Monet, Giverny Nathan Leeb (acquired c. 1962); by descent to a Private collection; sale (Paris, Christie’s, December 3, 2007, lot 44, illus. in cat.[color]) Private collection M.S. Rau, New Orleans Literature: D. Wildenstein, Claude Monet: catalogue raisonné, V, Supplément aux peintures,dessins, pastels…, Lausanne, 1991, p. 143, no. D 486. London, Royal Academy of Arts, and Williamstown, Mass., Sterling and FrancineClark Art Institute, The Unknown Monet: Pastels and Drawings (cat. by J.A. Ganz and R. Kendall), 2007, pp. 46, 280, notes 10, 39. S. Le Men, Monet, Paris, 2010, pp. 34, and 429, note 29.

Creator:
Claude Monet (1840-1926, French)
Creation Year:
1859
Dimensions:
Height: 32.13 in (81.62 cm)Width: 25 in (63.5 cm)Depth: 1.25 in (3.18 cm)
Medium:
Paper,Chalk
Period:
19th Century
Condition:
Gallery Location:
New Orleans, LA
Reference Number:
Seller: 31-56631stDibs: LU18610827222

17th Century Baroque Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Chalk

Jacob Jordaens
Head of a Cheerful Man Wearing a Cap, 1640-1660

$50,000

H 5.66 in W 4.5 in

Part of the ring-wall of the Taj Mahal, Agra, India, 1914

Located in Amsterdam, NL

Part of the ring-wall of the Taj Mahal, Agra, India, 1914 Signed with initials and dated bottom right Black chalk on paper, 45.5 x 53 cm Literature: Ernst Braches en J.F. Heijbro...

Category

1910s Art Nouveau Landscape Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Chalk

W.O.J. Nieuwenkamp
Part of the ring-wall of the Taj Mahal, Agra, India, 1914, 1914

$22,758

Free Shipping

H 17.92 in W 20.87 in D 1.19 in

Study for a Hunting Scene, a red chalk sketch attributed to Karel du Jardin

Located in PARIS, FR

We would like to thank Carolina Trupiano Kowalczyk for suggesting this attribution to Karel du Jardin after direct examination of the artwork. Her study of the drawing (in Italian), ...

Category

1650s Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Chalk, Ink, Laid Paper

Study for a Hunting Scene, a red chalk sketch attributed to Karel du Jardin, 1657-1658

$16,002

H 12.63 in W 15.5 in

Roman Charity (Cimon and Pero)

Located in Paris, Île-de-France

Michel CORNEILLE the Younger (Paris, 1642 – 1708) Roman Charity (Cimon and Pero) Black chalk with white highlights on beige paper Height: 28 cm – Width: 20 cm Unsigned France, cir...

Category

Late 17th Century Old Masters Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Charcoal, Chalk

Michel Corneille the Younger
Roman Charity (Cimon and Pero), c. 1690

$11,260

H 11.03 in W 7.88 in

Portrait of a Man

Located in London, GB

Charcoal, chalk and red chalk Initialled (lower left and right) 12cm × 9.5cm (41cm × 37cm framed) A French actor and artist. He is known for acting in several French films in the 1...

Category

20th Century French School Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Chalk, Charcoal

Roland Caillaux
Portrait of a Man

$2,247

H 16.15 in W 14.57 in

Male Torso

By John Koch

Located in London, GB

Pencil, coloured pencil and chalk on paper, titled (lower left), signed (lower right), 31cm x 46cm, (51cm x 68cm framed). John Koch was an American painter and teacher, and an impo...

Category

1950s American Modern Nude Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Chalk, Pencil, Color Pencil

John Koch
Male Torso

$2,247

H 20.08 in W 26.78 in D 1.19 in

Young Man Reclining (Boris Snezhkovsky)

Located in London, GB

Konstantin Andreevich Somov (Russian 1869-1939), Young Man Reclining (Boris Snezhkovsky), 1931, Sanguine and pastel on paper, signed and dated (twice) (lower right), 32cm x 48cm, (46...

Category

1930s Art Deco Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Pastel, Chalk, Paper

Konstantin Somov
Young Man Reclining (Boris Snezhkovsky), 1931

$24,515

H 18.12 in W 23.23 in D 0.79 in

Figure Study

Located in London, GB

Black and red chalk on paper, signed and dated (lower right), 31cm x 27cm (50cm x 45cm framed). Delmotte was a painter, draftsman, watercolourist and Belgian sculptor. A realist painter at first, he was influenced by Expressionism of the beginning of the century. An impressive list of gallery exhibitions of his work during his lifetime, either independently or as part of a group, indicate that he was a known and successful figure in art worlds of Belgium and Europe. Marcel Delmotte received numerous awards and honors throughout his career. He was named Knight of the Order of Leopold II...

Category

1930s Art Deco Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Chalk, Paper

Marcel Delmotte
Figure Study, 1930

$1,702

H 19.69 in W 17.72 in D 1.19 in

Figure Study

Located in London, GB

Category

1930s Art Deco Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Chalk

Marcel Delmotte
Figure Study, 1930

$1,702

H 18.51 in W 15.36 in D 1.19 in

Portrait of a Man’s Head

By William Etty

Located in London, GB

Charcoal and white chalk highlight on paper Label of J.M Maas Gallery (verso) 36cm × 28cm (54cm × 43cm framed) Etty, a student of Thomas Lawrence, R.A., was the first significant Br...

Category

19th Century English School Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Chalk, Charcoal

William Etty
Portrait of a Man’s Head

$3,404

H 21.26 in W 16.93 in

More From This Seller

View All

L’Heure du goûter! by Jules-Émile Saintin

Located in New Orleans, LA

Jules-Émile Saintin 1829-1894 French L’Heure du goûter! (Snack Time!) Signed "Jules-Émile Saintin" (lower right) Charcoal and white chalk on paper A tender moment unfolds as a young girl leans over her bowl of soup, savoring her midday snack with focus and delight. Her spoon rests beside a slice of bread on the polished tabletop, while a cup, perhaps filled with tea or chocolate, and a second piece of bread complete the simple yet cozy scene. Nearby, her stuffed toy lies temporarily forgotten atop a shawl, hinting at the world of play just briefly paused. The setting is intricately detailed. The dining room showcases a marble fireplace adorned with a clock, fine porcelain and delicate cups. Saintin’s composition captures the quiet grace of the moment as well as the interplay of light and texture, skillfully rendered using only charcoal and white chalk. His ability to infuse luminosity into a monochrome drawing speaks to his refined technique and observational sensitivity. This work resonates with Saintin’s charming studies of children during his American period, such as A Little Girl Dozing Over Her Drawing (possibly a portrait of Jennie Walters), now in the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore. Born in 1829 in Lemé, Saintin began painting at age 11 and was admitted to the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris by 16. Trained under Martin Drölling and Édouard Picot, he became an accomplished portraitist and debuted at the Salon des Artistes Français in 1848, earning several medals. In 1853, he moved to New York to work in a photography studio, soon dedicating himself fully to painting. He exhibited regularly at the National Academy of Design—becoming a member in 1858—and gained a strong reputation for his portraits of American elites, as well as for his depictions of landscapes and Native American clothing...

Category

19th Century Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Chalk, Charcoal

Jules-Emile Saintin
L’Heure du goûter! by Jules-Émile Saintin, Circa 1880

$44,500

A Study of Two Models by Sir William Russell Flint

By William Russell Flint

Located in New Orleans, LA

Sir William Russell Flint, R.A., P.R.W.S.1880-1969 Scottish A Study of Two Models Signed "WRussell Flint" (bottom right) Ethereal and sen...

Category

20th Century Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Chalk

William Russell Flint
A Study of Two Models by Sir William Russell Flint, 20th century

$68,500

Smiling Nude by Tamara de Lempicka

By Tamara de Lempicka

Located in New Orleans, LA

Tamara de Lempicka 1898-1980 Polish Smiling Nude Signed “Lempicka”(bottom right) Pencil on paper “Everything that I did was never done like the others were doing... I wanted to d...

Category

20th Century Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pencil

Tamara de Lempicka
Smiling Nude by Tamara de Lempicka, Circa 1928

$39,850

The Balneator by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema

By Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema

Located in New Orleans, LA

Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema 1836-1912 Dutch The Balneator Signed and inscribed "L Alma Tadema. op CLXXVI." (lower right) Pencil and watercolor with scratching out on paper on board ...

Category

19th Century Academic Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Board, Pencil

Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema
The Balneator by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Circa 1876

$175,000

Fruit by Alphonse Mucha

By Alphonse Mucha

Located in New Orleans, LA

Alphonse Mucha 1860-1939 Czech Fruit Signed "Mucha" (lower left) Pastel on paper "Art only exists to communicate a spiritual message." —Alphonse Mucha Alphonse Mucha's distincti...

Category

19th Century Art Nouveau Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pastel

Alphonse Mucha
Fruit by Alphonse Mucha, Circa 1897

$245,000

Homme à l'agneau, mangeur de pastèque et flûtiste

By Pablo Picasso

Located in New Orleans, LA

Signed, dated and numbered “Picasso / 3.2.67 / II” (upper right) Crayon on paper Hailed among the fathers of modern art, Pablo Picasso possessed a seemingly e...

Category