The quick study for a portrait has always appealed, so too the captivating sketches of artist Rene Bouché. From his flowing lines, emerge apt portraits of stylish women that graced the pages of Vogue from the late 1930's until his death in 1963. He said "My style may be described as a kind of loving criticism." No sitter could have been disappointed in the results. In fact Bouché's chic portraits of society scions have been likened to the portraits of painters like Sargent, and Boldini.
It's easy to recognize his work-all the women are beautiful, coiffed, jeweled.
Do they look alike?
Yes-
but do they look uniquely themselves?
Yes-
that is Bouché.
Mrs. John Drexel III
The Duchess of Windsor
(from the pages of Vogue, March 15,1954)
Rene Bouche here
It would have been a treasure to have a portraits sketched by Bouche! The spontaneous talent to capture ones personality, wonderful! Thanks Gaye!
ReplyDeleteanother of the many gifts an artist can have. pgt
DeleteIt is not lost on me that Bouché's portrait of the Duchess of Windsor is the same pose and attitude (though reversed) of Pietro Annigoni's portrait of the Queen. Very sly.
ReplyDeleteVery True!
DeleteBouche's women were instantly recognizable, as you say, as His Very Own and yet the sketches are faithful to life.
ReplyDeleteHowever, in the case of the drawing of Mrs Herrara, that image has nothing to do with Carolina (as labeled at the end of the post) since it refers to a publishing date of 1954. Carolina married Reinaldo in 1968.
that must be his mother? the pages were scanned directly from the original 54 Vogue. pgt
Deleteher mother-in-law to be, I assume.
DeleteThe days when women were referred to as Mrs (husband's first name or in those days, Christian name ) husband's surname seem so long ago ..yet I remember them v. clearly
ReplyDeleteYes, it's striking to our modern ideas-so very traditional.
DeleteOh Rats! He is gone! An artist painted my portrait when I was 40. (not my idea)!
ReplyDeleteI asked my cousin.....(who is like a sister) "what do you think?"
She said....."I guess that is what you would look like if you had a lobotomy"!!
I burned it. I was terrified it might end up in a "thrift store" or something.....dreadful!
These are divine! And they capture the personality of the people!!!
Oh dear! I have a large one actually-it looks just like my Mother! right now it is my facebook picture- and my on the blog. pgt
DeleteMaria Herrera-Usar, "MIMI" http://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/28/obituaries/maria-herrera-uslar-society-figure-was-78.html
ReplyDelete