Provenance

Captain Edward H. Molyneux

British, 1891 - 1974

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This painting shows a large yellow lemon resting upright next to a wide slice of yellow fruit on top of a white plate. A long, light-green stem emerges from the top of the lemon, and several dark green leaves sprout from it. Under the plate is a draped white tablecloth that is painted with hints of light blue and green. A silver butter knife is on the tablecloth in front of the fruit plate. In the background, colorful patterns stand out against a gray wall. The patterns are mainly floral designs in shades of orange, light pink, purple, and yellow.
French 19th Century, Melon and Lemon, c. 1900, oil on canvas on wood, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Collection, 1970.17.33

Melon and Lemon

French 19th Century · c. 1900 · oil on canvas on wood ·  Accession ID  1970.17.33

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Madame Lépine

Anonymous Artist · n.d. · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1970.17.39

A street stretches away from us between two walls to a town in this vertical, loosely painted landscape. Thick, textured brushstrokes are visible throughout. The pavement directly in front of us is camel brown with a pale blue squiggle suggesting a puddle. The wall to the right is celery green, and a bright blue sign is at the top, far corner. The wall to the left is buttressed and is painted in shades of sky and lapis blue. The road beyond the path is parchment brown, and three and four-story buildings lining the left side of the road are painted in tones of burnt orange, butter yellow, denim blue, and off white. Branches of a tree growing over the wall to the left are painted with curling strokes in olive green and royal blue, and the sky is very pale, yellow-tinted green. The artist signed and dated the painting in the lower left corner, “Maurice Utrillo.V. 1909.”
Maurice Utrillo, Rue Cortot, Montmartre, 1909, oil on cardboard, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Collection, 1970.17.88

Rue Cortot, Montmartre

Maurice Utrillo · 1909 · oil on cardboard ·  Accession ID  1970.17.88

Edouard Vuillard, Breakfast, 1894, oil on cardboard, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Collection, 1970.17.97

Breakfast

Edouard Vuillard · 1894 · oil on cardboard ·  Accession ID  1970.17.97

A white dog spotted with caramel-brown and with long, floppy ears sits in a garden setting near a green park bench in this loosely painted vertical portrait. The dog leans slightly onto its right paw, to our left, and looks off to the right, its ears relaxed. A blue bird crouches near the ground in front of the dog’s feet. Painted with tones of peanut brown and earthy green, a bush and tree trunk fill the background to the right, and the back of the bench is to the left. The artist inscribed the bottom right with his initials, HTL, conjoined in a monogram and the dog’s name, “LA FLECHE.”
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, The Artist's Dog Flèche, c. 1881, oil on wood, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Collection, 1970.17.84

The Artist's Dog Flèche

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec · c. 1881 · oil on wood ·  Accession ID  1970.17.84

The head and floppy ears of a dog with a delicate muzzle are loosely painted in this vertical portrait. The dog’s head is cocked to our left, and it looks at us with large, glistening black eyes. Its fur is mottled caramel brown, black, and dark gray except for a white blaze on its forehead and down around its mouth. A silver bell glints on a black collar. The dog’s body fades out below the collar, and that area and the background are painted with strokes of oyster white and a few areas of shale blue. The artist signed the lower left corner, “Renoir.”
Auguste Renoir, Head of a Dog, 1870, oil on canvas, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Collection, 1970.17.57

Head of a Dog

Auguste Renoir · 1870 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1970.17.57

This painting features bold, thick brushstrokes in vibrant colors. In the center of the painting is an area of bright orange and red brushstrokes, with a section of peach and light pink beneath them. The impression it gives us is that of a red-headed woman with light skin looking to the right, in profile. Her facial features are indistinct, with only a hint of paint suggesting what may be a small nose and pink lips. She appears to be wearing a dress painted in streaks of white and periwinkle blue with a low neckline. Around her, the background is comprised of large strokes of teal, dark blue, light green, and white paint. The colors overlap and blend with one another, giving the impression of movement. Some of the teal paint in the top right corner overlaps with the woman's orange hair, blurring the lines between her outline and the background. Around the edges of the painting, the underlying brown canvas is visible.
Auguste Renoir, Jeanne Samary, 1878, oil on canvas, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Collection, 1970.17.78

Jeanne Samary

Auguste Renoir · 1878 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1970.17.78

This painting shows a woman with her face turned to the left and her back to us, holding a piece of white fabric in her left hand. She has pale yellow skin and dark brown hair tied up into a loose bun or knot at the back of her head. Her face is blurred, with no features beyond the vague outline of a nose and a few dots of paint suggesting an eye. She is wearing a long, dark blue long garment that she appears to be putting on or taking off, with her right hand raised up to her shoulder. Behind her is a low brown table or countertop, and the background is painted in muted mustard and beige tones. The brushstrokes are thick and visible on top of a textured surface.
Edouard Vuillard, Woman at Her Toilette, c. 1891, oil on cardboard, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Collection, 1970.17.91

Woman at Her Toilette

Edouard Vuillard · c. 1891 · oil on cardboard ·  Accession ID  1970.17.91

This painting shows a portrait of a man, seen from the shoulders upwards. The man is in profile, facing the left. He has short, dark brown hair that appears to be styled with a slight wave, dark eyebrows, pale skin, and red lips. His cheeks and visible ear are slightly pink. The man is dressed in a formal outfit with a black jacket, a white collared shirt, and a black bow tie. The background consists of a textured, abstract blend of pale green tones. The brushstrokes in the painting are visible, giving the portrait a blurred effect.
Auguste Renoir, Georges Rivière, 1877, oil on cement, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Collection, 1970.17.64

Georges Rivière

Auguste Renoir · 1877 · oil on cement ·  Accession ID  1970.17.64

This painting shows five people in an indoor setting: two adults and three children. In the center, a woman is seated next to a piece of red-brown furniture, holding a baby in a long white garment with a wide neckline. Another woman stands beside her on the right, turned toward the baby. Both women have brown hair styled up and wear black dresses. On the left, a child in a black garment appears to sit next to the seated woman, reaching towards the baby. In the bottom right corner, another baby wearing a white garment seems to be seated, facing the left. All of the people have pale skin. The background is abstract, with brown and green shapes suggesting a wall and a doorway on the left. The background is filled with thin, scribbled lines, and the brushstrokes in the painting are thick and visible.
Pierre Bonnard, The Artist's Sister and Her Children, 1898, oil on cardboard on wood, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Collection, 1970.17.6

The Artist's Sister and Her Children

Pierre Bonnard · 1898 · oil on cardboard on wood ·  Accession ID  1970.17.6

Bibliography

1952

  • Talmey, Allene. "Captain Molyneux." Vogue (15 August 1952): 132-133+.

  • French Paintings from the Molyneux Collection. Exh. Cat. National Gallery of Art, 1952.

1956

  • Picken, Mary Brooks and Dora Loues Miller. Dressmakers of France. New York, 1956:52-54

1974

  • "Capt Edward Molyneux: Leading Paris fashion designer." The Times of London (1974) March 25:14

  • "Capt. Edward H. Molyneux, 79; Dominated Fashions for Years." The New York Times (1974) March 24: 34