“The Arrival of the Bride”
Paul-Émile Boutigny · Signed and dated
France, 1928
An oil on canvas by Paul-Émile Boutigny, signed and dated 1928, this grand genre painting depicts the arrival of a carriage delivering the bride before a church, set against an 18th-century backdrop. The moment captured is that of a high-society arrival, transformed into a social spectacle. The richly attired figures populate the space in a dense, lively composition. Gowns in silky fabrics and shimmering hues contrast with the men's garments adorned with embroidery and gilded buttons, underscoring the social hierarchy and refined elegance of the protagonists. The light, diffuse and masterfully controlled, accentuates the central figures while leaving the peripheral areas in soft half-light. To the right, the presence of a beggar introduces a discreet note of social contrast, though without genuine critical tension: it serves as a picturesque motif inherited from the 18th-century tradition rather than a denunciation. This restraint confirms the idealized nature of the scene, where the Ancien Régime is evoked as an era of elegance and harmonious sociability. Executed toward the end of Boutigny’s career, this work bears witness to an unapologetic allegiance to a narrative and decorative aesthetic, running counter to contemporary avant-gardes.
16 500 €
- Artist / Maker
- Paul-Émile Boutigny · Signed and dated
- Dated
- 1928
- Origin
- France
Dimensions
- Height : 35.4 in(90 cm)
- Width : 43.3 in(110 cm)
- Depth : 2.8 in(7 cm)
Technique / Materials
- Oil on canvas
Bibliography
- Bénézit, Dictionnaire critique et documentaire des peintres, sculpteurs, dessinateurs et graveurs, Paris, Gründ. Catalogues of the Salon des Artistes Français, 1881–1895. Jean-Paul Crespelle, La Vie artistique à la Belle Époque, Paris, 1966. Musée d'Art et d'Histoire de Saint-Denis, Paul-Émile Boutigny collection. (References on the artist’s biography and his exhibitions in the 1880s and 1890s.)
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