Boudoir, Chateau de Chaalis
1914
Medium
Painting
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Harper Fletcher in memory of Mr. and Mrs. James Wolcott Wadsworth
Accession Number
1971.284
Tags
About this artwork
This château was once the home of an aristocrat who left it to the French Institute in Paris as a museum with all the art objects and furnishings intact. In 1914, its curator invited Walter Gay to visit and allowed him to paint this opulent chamber. A contemporary critic praised Gayâs paintings, saying that âthe personality of the people who live in these chateaux has also been suggested and indicated in an extraordinary manner; we can feel their presence.â (Reynolds, âThe Spirit of Emp...