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Lot Essay
"Dudule" is the nickname that Jacqueline Delubac gave to this particular necklace.
The celebrated french actress Jacqueline Delubac was born in 1907 in Lyon, France. Her father, Henri Basset, was a salesman and her mother,
Isabelle Delubac, stemmed from a family of silk merchants. Upon the
death of her father in 1911, her mother took her to Valence, a town at
the edge of Provence, to live with her maternal grandparents.
Her precociousness and talent brought her to Paris at the young age of
twenty-one where she again lived with her mother. For her stage-name,
she chose Delubac. Her theatrical debut was in a 1928 revue at the
Bouffes-Parisiens.
In 1931, she had her first contact with the famous playwrite and actor,
Sacha Guitry, who four years later would become her husband. Their initial performance together was in "Villa à vendre" at the Théatre
de la Madeleine. In no time, Delubac's innate charm and gift for acting
captivated Guitry and she became his preferred actress, as well as his
muse.
By 1933, she had moved into his "hôtel particulier" at the avenue
Élisée-Reclus. Her acting career had taken off to such a degree
that an entire studio at the famed couturier Paquin was devoted uniquely to creating her costumes as well as superb evening gowns and
daywear. This arrangement was perpetuated well into the 1950s. The
inspired relationship between Delubac and Guitry lasted until 1938 when
she requested a divorce.
screen.
At this time, another of her great passions became an integral part of
her life. Her frequent visits to art galleries and artists' ateliers
began to translate into a superb, extremely modern collection which
since her death in 1997 has been donated to the musée des Beaux-Arts
in Lyon. One of her initial purchases was a painting by Raoul Dufy
"L'Atelier aux Raisins", bought in 1944. Yet, it was not until the end
of her acting career that she became a serious collector. From 1955-1970, her acquisitions accumulated at a rapid pace, including such
artists as Braque, Léger, Miro and Picasso, but also encompassing
painters of a more daring nature such as Francis Bacon.
In 1981, Delubac married for a second time to Myran Eknayan, an
Armenian jeweller who was also an impassioned art collector.
Contrasting with the avant-garde tastes of Delubac, Eknayan had a
penchant for the Impressionist period, with the occasional purchase of
earlier 19th Century painters such as Corot.
If one peruses the literature concerning Jacqueline Delubac, a word
that resurfaces constantly is "elegance". For many, she embodied the
adjective. The french writer Jean Chalon describes her as having had
"l'air d'un Vigée Lebrun mis à la mode des années 30 par Van
Dongen." (Réunion des Musées Nationaux, "De Manet à Bacon: La
Collection de Jacqueline Delubac", Paris, 1998)
jewels were no exception.
The celebrated french actress Jacqueline Delubac was born in 1907 in Lyon, France. Her father, Henri Basset, was a salesman and her mother,
Isabelle Delubac, stemmed from a family of silk merchants. Upon the
death of her father in 1911, her mother took her to Valence, a town at
the edge of Provence, to live with her maternal grandparents.
Her precociousness and talent brought her to Paris at the young age of
twenty-one where she again lived with her mother. For her stage-name,
she chose Delubac. Her theatrical debut was in a 1928 revue at the
Bouffes-Parisiens.
In 1931, she had her first contact with the famous playwrite and actor,
Sacha Guitry, who four years later would become her husband. Their initial performance together was in "Villa à vendre" at the Théatre
de la Madeleine. In no time, Delubac's innate charm and gift for acting
captivated Guitry and she became his preferred actress, as well as his
muse.
By 1933, she had moved into his "hôtel particulier" at the avenue
Élisée-Reclus. Her acting career had taken off to such a degree
that an entire studio at the famed couturier Paquin was devoted uniquely to creating her costumes as well as superb evening gowns and
daywear. This arrangement was perpetuated well into the 1950s. The
inspired relationship between Delubac and Guitry lasted until 1938 when
she requested a divorce.
screen.
At this time, another of her great passions became an integral part of
her life. Her frequent visits to art galleries and artists' ateliers
began to translate into a superb, extremely modern collection which
since her death in 1997 has been donated to the musée des Beaux-Arts
in Lyon. One of her initial purchases was a painting by Raoul Dufy
"L'Atelier aux Raisins", bought in 1944. Yet, it was not until the end
of her acting career that she became a serious collector. From 1955-1970, her acquisitions accumulated at a rapid pace, including such
artists as Braque, Léger, Miro and Picasso, but also encompassing
painters of a more daring nature such as Francis Bacon.
In 1981, Delubac married for a second time to Myran Eknayan, an
Armenian jeweller who was also an impassioned art collector.
Contrasting with the avant-garde tastes of Delubac, Eknayan had a
penchant for the Impressionist period, with the occasional purchase of
earlier 19th Century painters such as Corot.
If one peruses the literature concerning Jacqueline Delubac, a word
that resurfaces constantly is "elegance". For many, she embodied the
adjective. The french writer Jean Chalon describes her as having had
"l'air d'un Vigée Lebrun mis à la mode des années 30 par Van
Dongen." (Réunion des Musées Nationaux, "De Manet à Bacon: La
Collection de Jacqueline Delubac", Paris, 1998)
jewels were no exception.