In 1902 when Louis Marie de Schryver painted L'Avenue du Bois de Boulogne, Matinné du Printemps, he was at the prime of his career. De Schryver's father was a man of letters who was prominent in Parisian society and through his friendship with the artists Jean Jacques Henner, Rosa Bonheur and Philippe Rousseau, he had encouraged his son to pursue painting. Ensured with life of comfort and security as an artist, de Schryver chose to depict those scenes from Belle Epoque Paris to which he was intimately privy and he frequently returned to the subject of Parisian flower vendors and ladies dressed elegantly to celebrate this world. L'Avenue du Bois de Boulogne, Matinné du Printemps showcases de Schryver's talent for rendering the beauty of Paris in the springtime with the chestnut trees along the Champs Elysees in bloom and the colorful array of flowers for sale all set against the backdrop of the Arc de Triomphe beyond. De Schryver frequently used his friends and family members as models in his work: the young flower girl is probably the daughter of the housekeepers of his cottage in Neuilly-sur-Seine which had been built in 1901, one of the ladies may indeed be a cousin of his, and the fashionable poodle may even be one of the many that belonged to the artist. Mme. Elisabeth Hert-de Schryver writes of the painting that it "is really a work of the highest quality" which includes very fine observations, for example the two 'arroseurs' who will soon meet...and the pleasant other figures...which give much life for the painting."

We are grateful to Mme. Elisabeth Hert-de Schryver for her assistance in preparing this catalogue entry.