Trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in the workshop of Alexandre Cabanel, René Gilbert turned to pastels after a visit to the museum of Saint-Quentin, where he was captivated by the works of Maurice-Quentin de La Tour. His pastels, which he exhibited from 1882 at the Salon and from 1894 to 1912 with the French Pastel Society, quickly earned him recognition from institutions and the public alike. As early as 1886, the State purchased "The Tapestry Mender" for the Luxembourg Museum, which was then an annex of the Louvre. Collectors commissioned their portraits from him, most notably the Rothschilds who became his patrons.
His portraits of children were particularly sought after, so much so that "mothers only see through him. No need to suggest another artist for the portrait of Jean, Etienne, or Germaine: they all demand Gilbert"[1]. This pastel exemplifies the sensitivity with which René Gilbert evokes the world of childhood. Dated 1910, it could be the Portrait of Miss S... exhibited at the Pastel Society. Another known portrait of his daughter, Marianne Segond-Weber, born in 1905, leads us to believe that she is the one depicted here.
[1] Yveling Rambaud, Silhouettes of Artists with Portraits Drawn by Themselves, Paris, French Society of Art Editions, 1899, p. 119.
Notice written in collaboration with Gallery 1900 BY SP.