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Lot Essay
Eugenia Errazuriz was born into a prominent Chilean family which emigrated to Europe shortly after 1880. Dividing her time between London and Paris, Mrs. Errazuriz quickly established herself as an arbiter of taste and an influence within social and artistic circles. She was an inspiration and patron of many artists, and helped to promote Picasso. Her main interest was the ballet, and it was through her that Diaghilev encouraged Picasso to design sets for Eric Satie's ballet "Parade".
Jacques Emile Blanche also moved within the Salon circles in Paris, recording their beautiful patrons. His portrait of Eugenia Errazuriz is a quintessential statement of Belle Epoque elegance. Her figure dominates the canvas as she modestly gazes into the distance, thus allowing Blanche to emphasize her famously sharp profile. The elongated "S"-shaped curves of her pose, enveloped in the sweeping folds of fabric, were strikingly modern and reflect the influence of Boldini. Cecil Beaton once observed that Mrs. Errazuriz "became, by degrees, a 'grey eminence' in the world of artists and cultivated people, who were to acknowledge themselves as her disciples. Like sunflowers turning to the sun, they looked to Mrs. Errazuriz for a redefinition of elegance, taste and love of the beautiful" (Quoted in P. Jullian, "The Lady from Chile," Apollo, April 1969). Similarly, Blanche presents Mrs. Errazuriz not just as an embodiment of fashion but as the grand presence she was to her contemporaries.
Jacques Emile Blanche also moved within the Salon circles in Paris, recording their beautiful patrons. His portrait of Eugenia Errazuriz is a quintessential statement of Belle Epoque elegance. Her figure dominates the canvas as she modestly gazes into the distance, thus allowing Blanche to emphasize her famously sharp profile. The elongated "S"-shaped curves of her pose, enveloped in the sweeping folds of fabric, were strikingly modern and reflect the influence of Boldini. Cecil Beaton once observed that Mrs. Errazuriz "became, by degrees, a 'grey eminence' in the world of artists and cultivated people, who were to acknowledge themselves as her disciples. Like sunflowers turning to the sun, they looked to Mrs. Errazuriz for a redefinition of elegance, taste and love of the beautiful" (Quoted in P. Jullian, "The Lady from Chile," Apollo, April 1969). Similarly, Blanche presents Mrs. Errazuriz not just as an embodiment of fashion but as the grand presence she was to her contemporaries.