Thursday 4th December - Le Missel

 I was looking for something a bit classy for today, and came across this tempera beauty...

Le Missel (1899) Edgar Maxence

Well, hello Lovely, aren't we splendid? Nothing like a bit of French Symbolism to brighten the day. Here we have a pious young lady with her 'missel' or prayer book.  Her dark clothes hint at widowhood possibly, although her left-hand ring finger is hidden, tucked into her prayer book. Is she married to Jesus now? That white veil has an oddly wedding-ish overtone. The above painting was featured on the Leicester Gallery page but interestingly, the Leicester Gallery also sold The Red Missel by Maxence in 1927, when it helpfully appeared in The Graphic (although sadly not in colour)...

The Red Missel (from The Graphic)

I feel there is something Tudor about The Red Missel, that sort of face-on formality that is missing from The Missel.  The newspapers praised the 'serene loveliness' of Maxence's models and although the pictures are quite different in approach, both women are definitely calm and introspective. The Marlborough Times talked about how the women in his work have the look of 'the call of the soul in its awakening' which works well with the religious tracts the women are holding.

One of the things Mr Walker and I watch on YouTube are the views from the cab of a Swiss train as it travels through the countryside (I know, how rock and roll of us) and the castle in the background reminds Mr Walker of one of those beautiful buildings in the glorious countryside (I blame the 1970s German tv series Heidi for my idealisation of that sort of landscape).  Our lass has literally turned her back on her home and by extension that lifestyle and is holding her religion close as she walks away.  Is she off to a nunnery? It might just be me, but I feel there are Guinevere-vibes coming off her, like in this picture...

Guinevere (1913) Eleanor Fortescue Brickdale

I might be fanciful but I get the impression that our lady in velvet is withdrawing from a life of plenty in the same way that Guinevere turned her back on her old life.  Has Maxence's lady done things she wants to repent for? Has she lived the sort of life that has turned her to religion? Or has she simply decided that it's better to withdraw now rather than be tempted? Either way, she's walking away from her castle with dignity and is being led to her new life by her little book, whatever it might be.

Edgar Maxence (1871-1954) was a contemporary of Matisse and exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Francais from 1894 until the 1930s, making our lady with the missel one of his earlier works.  He was taught by Gustav Moreau and leaned towards Symbolism quite heavily as well as the religious. I think I am best acquainted with this one...

Woman with Orchids (1900)

I absolutely adore this lass having a sneaky ciggie while wafting the smoke away with her diaphanous hankie. So classy. In many ways, the lass with the orchids can be seen as a companion to Le Missel - one woman is rejecting the world and looking away. The woman with the orchids in her hair addresses us frankly.  She holds no religious tract, instead a cigarette which she makes no effort to hide. She is at one with the modern world, not trying to escape it.

See you tomorrow...