Lot Essay
Gervex's paintings chronicled life in Paris at the height of the belle epoque. A frequent exhibitor at the Paris Salon and an artist of international regard, Gervex was awarded numerous commissions to decorate public buildings throughout Paris. Indeed, Marche aux Fleurs may be a study for one of these larger, public commissions and it was probably painted in the 1880s. In this picture, Gabriel Weisberg notes that, "Gervex shifts the focus from that of the flower vendor herself to that of her elegant patrons. According to him, "The suggestion of a festive outing is predominant...(and) from the garments the women are wearing, it is clear that they are representative of a social elite who had the leisure to spend the time strolling through the streets of Paris, and the money to purchase flowers for their homes." (G. Weisberg, Women in Fashion, exh. cat., no. 21).