Maxime-Pierre Jules Dethomas (; October 13, 1867 – January 21, 1929) was a French painter, draughtsman, printmaker, illustrator, and was among the best known theater-set and costume designers of his era. As an artist, Dethomas was highly regarded by his contemporaries and exhibited widely, both within France and abroad. He was a regular contributor to the '' Impressionistes et Symbolistes'', and a founding committee member of the ''

Salon d'Automne The Salon d'Automne (; en, Autumn Salon), or Société du Salon d'automne, is an art exhibition held annually in Paris, France. Since 2011, it is held on the Champs-Élysées, between the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais, in mid-October. The f ...

''. In 1912, he was awarded the ''

Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon B ...

'' for his contributions to French art.Vauxcelles, p.265-283 During the latter part of his career, he is remembered for his work overseeing set and costume design for the '' Théâtre des Arts'' and the

Paris Opera The Paris Opera (, ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be ...

. His works appear in many important national collections, including the

Musée d'Orsay The Musée d'Orsay ( , , ) ( en, Orsay Museum) is a museum in Paris, France, on the Left Bank of the Seine. It is housed in the former Gare d'Orsay, a Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900. The museum holds mainly French art ...

, the

Hermitage Museum The State Hermitage Museum ( rus, Государственный Эрмитаж, r=Gosudarstvennyj Ermitaž, p=ɡəsʊˈdarstvʲɪn(ː)ɨj ɪrmʲɪˈtaʂ, links=no) is a museum of art and culture in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is the list of ...

and the

National Gallery of Art The National Gallery of Art, and its attached Sculpture Garden, is a national art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, located on the National Mall, between 3rd and 9th Streets, at Constitution Avenue NW. Open to the public and free of char ...

. A large collection of his theatrically related work is held at the '' Bibliothèque-Musée de l'Opéra National de Paris''. Dethomas is also remembered for his close friendship with the artist

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec Comte Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Monfa (24 November 1864 – 9 September 1901) was a French painter, printmaker, draughtsman, caricaturist and illustrator whose immersion in the colourful and theatrical life of Paris in the ...

, his brother in-law

Ignacio Zuloaga Ignacio Zuloaga y Zabaleta (July 26, 1870October 31, 1945) was a Spanish painter, born in Eibar (Guipuzcoa), near the monastery of Loyola. Family He was the son of metalworker and damascener Plácido Zuloaga and grandson of the organizer and d ...

and his association with '' Les Nabis'' and other important

Post-Impressionist Post-Impressionism (also spelled Postimpressionism) was a predominantly French art movement that developed roughly between 1886 and 1905, from the last Impressionist exhibition to the birth of Fauvism. Post-Impressionism emerged as a reaction ag ...

and Symbolist artists and writers. Dethomas died in 1929 at the age of 61, and was buried at the

Passy Cemetery Passy Cemetery (french: Cimetière de Passy) is a small cemetery in Passy, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, France. History The current cemetery replaced the old cemetery (''l'ancien cimetière communal de Passy'', located on Rue Lekain), ...

, Paris.

Early life and formal education

Born in the Paris suburb of

Garges-lès-Gonesse Garges-lès-Gonesse (, literally ''Garges near Gonesse'') is a commune in the Val-d'Oise department in northern France. It is located in the northern suburbs of Paris, from the center of Paris. The city is a part of the Paris urban area. It is ...

in 1867, Maxime Dethomas was the eldest of six children, including four half-siblings. His family came from a long line of painter-printers on one side, and lawyers on the other. His father, Jean-Albert Dethomas (1842–1891), was an important Parisian politician and lawyer. His mother, Laure-Elizabeth Antoinette Béchet, died at the age of 27 in 1874. His step mother, Marie Louise Thierrée, belonged to the affluent middle-class of Bordeaux. Maxime Dethomas (centre) with his artist companions c

Maxime Dethomas (centre) with his artist companions c

During 1885, Dethomas first met Augustine Bulteau (1860-1922), matriarch of the Parisian arts community and one-time wife of prominent author and playwright, Jules Ricard (1848-1903). Bulteau would go on to become a pivotal figure in his life, helping him navigate a difficult relationship with his father, guiding his academic direction and encouraging his development as an artist. Each year, Dethomas would take extended breaks at Bulteau's estates in Léry and Venice - trips that would feature prominently in his art. In 1887, Dethomas enrolled at the ''

École des Arts Décoratifs École may refer to: * an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée) * École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing in région Île-de-France * École, Savoi ...

'' at which he studied briefly, preferring instead to pass much of his time at the bookshop of the ''

Revue Indépendante A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own duri ...

'', a favourite haunt of young artists and writers run by

Édouard Dujardin Édouard Dujardin (10 November 1861 – 31 October 1949) was a French writer, one of the early users of the stream of consciousness literary technique, exemplified by his 1888 novel '' Les Lauriers sont coupés.'' Biography Édouard Émile Loui ...

. It was here that he first met

Louis Anquetin Louis Émile Anquetin (26 January 1861 – 19 August 1932) was a French painter. Biography Anquetin was born in Étrépagny, France, and educated at the Lycée Pierre Corneille in Rouen. In 1882 he came to Paris and began studying art at Lé ...

and

. It is an often repeated, yet erroneous claim that Dethomas' relationship with Toulouse-Lautrec was one of master and student - at least in the formal sense of the term - though their shared experiences and mutual respect for each other as artists was of undeniable consequence. In an 1898 letter, Dethomas reflected on Toulouse-Lautrec's art:

The things I see by him always give me an intense desire to work. The things of this boy, who, if he has no talent, certainly has a little genius, are always for me a whiplash oup de fouet It's as if I was shown the way with a sudden invitation to advance. The master paintings do not give me that, we are stupefied with admiration. We are blocked, discouraged, after them we are let down, we are in prison.

Disgruntled with his experiences at the ''École des Arts Décoratifs'', Dethomas began taking informal instruction at the private workshop of the young master,

Henri Gervex Henri Gervex (Paris 10 December 1852 – 7 June 1929 Paris) was a French painter who studied painting under Alexandre Cabanel, Pierre-Nicolas Brisset, and Eugène Fromentin. Biography Early years He was the son of Joséphine Peltier and Félix ...

. In 1888, Gervex began his tenure as instructor at ''l'Académie Libre'' on ''rue Verniquet'' - Dethomas applied and was accepted, continuing his formal education under Gervex. During this period, Dethomas became firm friends with fellow Gervex student and future brother-in-law,

. Through Dethomas, Zuloaga gained entrée into French artistic circles; reciprocally, Zuloaga introduced Dethomas to other Spanish expatriate artists, including the so-called Catalan Band:

Santiago Rusiñol Santiago Rusiñol i Prats (, ; Barcelona 25 February 1861 – Aranjuez 13 June 1931) was a Spanish painter, poet, journalist, collector and playwright. He was one of the leaders of the Catalan ''modernisme'' movement. He created more than a ...

Ramon Casas Ramon Casas i Carbó (; 4 January 1866 – 29 February 1932) was a Catalan artist. Living through a turbulent time in the history of his native Barcelona, he was known as a portraitist, sketching and painting the intellectual, economic, and ...

, and

Miquel Utrillo Miquel Utrillo i Morlius (16 February 1862, Barcelona - 20 January 1934, Sitges) was a Catalan art critic, scenographer, painter, and engineer. Biography He was born to the lawyer, Miquel Utrillo i Riu, originally from Tremp, a liberal repub ...

. The final phase of Dethomas' formal education commenced from 1891 onwards, where he followed a more varied course at the ''

Académie de La Palette ''Académie de La Palette'', also called ''Académie La Palette'' and ''La Palette'', (English: ''Palette Academy''), was a private art school in Paris, France, active between 1888 and 1925, aimed at promoting'' 'conciliation entre la liberté et l ...

'', 104 Boulevard de Clichy,

Montmartre Montmartre ( , ) is a large hill in Paris's northern 18th arrondissement. It is high and gives its name to the surrounding district, part of the Right Bank. The historic district established by the City of Paris in 1995 is bordered by Rue Ca ...

, under

Puvis de Chavannes Pierre Puvis de Chavannes (14 December 1824 – 24 October 1898) was a French painter known for his mural painting, who came to be known as "the painter for France". He became the co-founder and president of the Société Nationale des Bea ...

and

Eugène Carrière Eugène Anatole Carrière (16 January 1849 – 27 March 1906) was a French Symbolist artist of the fin-de-siècle period. Carrière's paintings are best known for their near-monochrome brown palette and their ethereal, dreamlike quality. He ...

. Carrière's tutelage played a significant role in the early development of Dethomas' art, and he would go on to be a close friend of both the artist and his family.Milhou 1991

Art

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Misia Natanson in Maxime Dethomas' studio c

Maxime Dethomas (1867-1929) with his Persian cat (c

Dethomas' early style owes most to the influence of Carrière and

Degas Edgar Degas (, ; born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas, ; 19 July 183427 September 1917) was a French Impressionist artist famous for his pastel drawings and oil paintings. Degas also produced bronze sculptures, prints and drawings. Degas is espec ...

, whilst later works tend more towards that of

Toulouse-Lautrec Comte Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Monfa (24 November 1864 – 9 September 1901) was a French painter, printmaker, draughtsman, caricaturist and illustrator whose immersion in the colourful and theatrical life of Paris in the l ...

, Anquetin and

Forain Jean-Louis Forain (23 October 1852 – 11 July 1931) was a French Impressionist painter and printmaker, working in media including oils, watercolour, pastel, etching and lithograph. Compared to many of his Impressionist colleagues, he was mor ...

. Dethomas claimed that his inspiration was guided by artists of earlier generations, particularly

Goya Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (; ; 30 March 174616 April 1828) was a Spanish romantic painter and printmaker. He is considered the most important Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His paintings, drawings, and ...

Delacroix Delacroix is a French surname that derives from ''de la Croix'' ("of the Cross"). It may refer to: People * Caroline Delacroix (1883–1945), French-Romanian mistress of Leopold II of Belgium * Charles-François Delacroix (1741–1805), ...

and

Manet A wireless ad hoc network (WANET) or mobile ad hoc network (MANET) is a decentralized type of wireless network. The network is ad hoc because it does not rely on a pre-existing infrastructure, such as routers in wired networks or access points ...

, but his individuality of style ensured he would "not be influenced in his work by any methods or thoughts other than his own". In 1905, influential critic

Louis Vauxcelles Louis Vauxcelles (born Louis Meyer; 1 January 187021 July 1943) was a French art critic. He is credited with coining the terms '' Fauvism'' (1905) and ''Cubism'' (1908). He used several pseudonyms in various publications: Pinturrichio, Vasari, ...

praised Dethomas as a "shrewd and penetrating observer" that captured his subjects "with a powerful sobriety".Vauxcelles 1905, p.1 He realised vigorous drawings, and some few oil paintings, showing portraits, cafe scenes, and urban landscapes of Italy and Spain. He primarily worked with broad strokes in

conté Conté (), also known as Conté sticks or Conté crayons, are a drawing medium composed of compressed powdered graphite or charcoal mixed with a clay base, square in cross-section. They were invented in 1795 by Nicolas-Jacques Conté, who crea ...

, graphite, charcoal and pastel, often enhanced by watercolour and the masterful use of the spatter brush, with drizzles and sprays of

gouache Gouache (; ), body color, or opaque watercolor is a water-medium paint consisting of natural pigment, water, a binding agent (usually gum arabic or dextrin), and sometimes additional inert material. Gouache is designed to be opaque. Gouache h ...

reminiscent of Lautrec lithographs. From the late 1890s, he drew inspiration from Japanese prints - said to have been introduced to him by Toulouse-Lautrec - and developed a bold xylographic style which lent itself to

woodcut Woodcut is a relief printing technique in printmaking. An artist carves an image into the surface of a block of wood—typically with gouges—leaving the printing parts level with the surface while removing the non-printing parts. Areas that ...

reproduction. Like many of his contemporaries, Dethomas explored various artistic mediums, including book illustrations, posters and print making. By 1895, he was designing programmes for

Lugné-Poe Aurélien-Marie Lugné (27 December 1869 19 June 1940), known by his stage and pen name Lugné-Poe, was a French actor, theatre director, and scenic designer. He founded the landmark Paris theatre company, the Théâtre de l'Œuvre, which produce ...

's ''

Théâtre de l'Œuvre The Théâtre de l'Œuvre is a Paris theatre on the Right Bank, located at 3, Cité Monthiers, entrance 55, rue de Clichy, in the 9° arrondissement. It is commonly conflated and confused with the late-nineteenth-century theater company named Th� ...

'' and exhibition and advertising posters with print makers such as Edward Ancourt, Eugène Verneau and Auguste Clot. With his drawings engraved by Léon Pichon and Emile Gasperini, he illustrated close to thirty books by many prominent authors including

Maurice Donnay Charles Maurice Donnay (12 October 1859 – 31 March 1945) was a French dramatist. Biography Donnay was born of middle-class parents in Paris in 1859. His father was a railway engineer and initially Donnay followed a similar profession, st ...

and

Octave Mirbeau Octave Mirbeau (16 February 1848 – 16 February 1917) was a French novelist, art critic, travel writer, pamphleteer, journalist and playwright, who achieved celebrity in Europe and great success among the public, whilst still appealing to the ...

. Dethomas engaged models from both within his social circle, as well as otherwise unremarkable characters from urban life, searching out peculiarities of appearance that betrayed the social facades of the

fin de siècle () is a French term meaning "end of century,” a phrase which typically encompasses both the meaning of the similar English idiom "turn of the century" and also makes reference to the closing of one era and onset of another. Without context, ...

. Having cut ties with his bourgeois pretensions during an 1891 move to Montmartre, Dethomas followed in the footsteps of his mentors, hungry to find authentic expression of the human condition amongst the daily struggles of the urban poor. "His characters are all scoundrels", joked Degas. Two such 'scoundrels' would go on to lead remarkable lives, in no small part due to their association with Dethomas. Then artist's model Suzanne Desprès became romantically involved with Dethomas in June, 1894, and continued to feature prominently in his art for some years, later becoming a famous actress and wife of theater director

. Prior to meeting Picasso in 1904,

Fernande Olivier Fernande Olivier (born Amélie Lang; 6 June 1881 – 29 January 1966) was a French artist and model known primarily for having been the model and first muse of painter Pablo Picasso, and for her written accounts of her relationship with him. Pic ...

would also model for Dethomas with some regularity, her memoirs painting a vivid picture of her time in Dethomas' studio: Degas, an avid supporter of Dethomas, spoke highly of his work asserting "it has weight". Described by

Philippe Berthelot Philippe Berthelot (October 9, 1866 – November 22, 1934) was an important French diplomat, son of Marcellin Berthelot and Sophie Berthelot. He was a republican (as opposed to monarchists and the far-right leagues at the time). Born in Sèvr ...

as "''le meilleur fils de Degas''", Dethomas nonetheless exhibited sparingly during the 1890s. Contemporary accounts suggest a "supercilious modesty prevented him from over-exhibiting his work though no artists merchant forbade him". In a letter written by Lautrec in the summer of 1895 to Joseph Ricci, Lautrec refers to Dethomas as his dear friend and compliments him as a painter "who doesn’t talk about his paintings, something that is to be admired".Frey, p.411 Despite his early reluctance to exhibit, he participated in some of the most significant exhibitions of the 1890s. His first solo exhibition in 1900 marked a turning point in his willingness to accept notoriety, leading to considerable accolades and public recognition. Dethomas' art passed through the hands of many prominent art dealers including Jos Hessel, Galerie

Durand-Ruel Paul Durand-Ruel (31 October 1831, Paris – 5 February 1922, Paris) was a French art dealer associated with the Impressionists and the Barbizon School. Being the first to support artists such as Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, and Pierre-Auguste ...

and Galerie Druet. Consequently, many of his works were acquired by influential collectors including Olivier Sainsère and

Sergei Shchukin Sergei Ivanovich Shchukin (russian: Серге́й Ива́нович Щу́кин; 10 January 1936) was a Russian businessman who became an art collector, mainly of French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art. Early life and family Sergei ...

. Dethomas is also known to have had his works framed by the frame-maker Pierre Cluzel (1850–1894), and his successor, Louis Vivien. In 1912, Dethomas was awarded the

for his contributions to French art. Maxime Dethomas - La femme au parapluie (1896).jpg, Maxime Dethomas: ''La femme au parapluie'' (1896). Musée des Beaux-Arts, Bordeaux. Maxime Dethomas - An Elegant Parisiènne Seated in a Café (c.1895).jpg, Maxime Dethomas: ''An Elegant Parisiènne Seated in a Café'' (c. 1895). N.G.A., Washington. Maxime Dethomas - Medisants (c1895) Pushkin Museum.jpg, Maxime Dethomas: ''Medisants'' (c. 1895). Pushkin Museum, Moscow. Maxime Dethomas - Woman in her bedroom (c.1895).jpg, Maxime Dethomas: ''Woman in her bedroom'' (c.1895). Maxime Dethomas - La boudeuse (1901).jpg, Maxime Dethomas: ''La boudeuse'' (1901). Ex. ''Galerie Hessel'', Paris. Maxime Dethomas - Homme mettant un pardessus (c. 1901).jpg, Maxime Dethomas: ''Homme mettant un pardessus'' (c. 1901). Palais des Beaux-Arts, Lille. Maxime Dethomas - La Cliente du Rat Mort (Sept., 1901).png, Maxime Dethomas: ''La cliente du Rat Mort'' (Sept. 1901). Maxime Dethomas - The Governess (c.1901). 54x46 cm. Held at the Hermitage Museum, Russia.jpg, Maxime Dethomas: ''The Governess'' (c. 1901). Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg. Maxime Dethomas - Femme assise sur la plage (1903).jpg, Maxime Dethomas: ''Femme assise sur la plage (L'Epave)'' (1903).

Salon d’Automne The Salon d'Automne (; en, Autumn Salon), or Société du Salon d'automne, is an art exhibition held annually in Paris, France. Since 2011, it is held on the Champs-Élysées, between the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais, in mid-October. The f ...

, 1903, n°655. Musée des Beaux-Arts, Marseille. Maxime Dethomas - La Transtéverine (1904).jpg, Maxime Dethomas: ''La Transtéverine'' (1904).

, 1904, n°1420. Palais des Beaux-Arts, Lille. Maxime Dethomas - La Vénitienne (1904).jpg, Maxime Dethomas: ''La Vénitienne'' (1904).

, 1904, n°1421. Palais des Beaux-Arts, Lille. Maxime Dethomas - The Violinist (c.1900).jpg, Maxime Dethomas: ''Le second violin'' (1904).

, 1904, n°1424. Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg. Maxime Dethomas - Le violoncelliste (1904).jpg, Maxime Dethomas: ''Le violoncelliste'' (1904).

, 1904, n°1425. Maxime Dethomas - Cliente au Café du Rat Mort (c.1905).jpg, Maxime Dethomas: ''Cliente au Café du Rat Mort'' (c. 1905).

Art Gallery of Ontario The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO; french: Musée des beaux-arts de l'Ontario) is an art museum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The museum is located in the Grange Park neighbourhood of downtown Toronto, on Dundas Street West between McCaul and Bev ...

. Maxime Dethomas - Au café (c.1905).jpg, Maxime Dethomas: ''Au café'' (c. 1905). H.D. Schimmel Collection. (Albi) Elégant en robe blanche à la cigarette (1910) - Maxime Dethomas.jpg, Maxime Dethomas: ''Elégant en robe blanche à la cigarette '' (c. 1910).

Musée Toulouse-Lautrec The Musée Toulouse-Lautrec is an art museum in Albi, southern France, dedicated mainly to the work of the painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec who was born in Albi. The 13th century building was originally the Bishop's Palace of Albi Cathedral, nex ...

Maxime Dethomas - Homme au melon et femme à la manchette (c.1905).jpg, Maxime Dethomas: ''Homme au melon et femme à la manchette - Le Regard'' (c. 1905). Maxime Dethomas - Le Solliciteur (Before August, 1905).jpg, Maxime Dethomas: ''Le Solliciteur'' (Before Aug., 1905). Musée d'Orsay, Paris. Maxime Detomas - Le Sollicité (Before August, 1905) 64 x 53 cm.jpg, Maxime Dethomas: ''Le Sollicité'' (Before Aug., 1905). Musée d'Orsay, Paris. Maxime Dethomas - Et modeste (c.1905).jpg, Maxime Dethomas: ''Et modeste'' (c. 1905). Musée de Montmartre, Paris. Maxime Dethomas - Femme assise au manchon et chapeau à plumes (c.1895).jpg, Maxime Dethomas: ''Femme assise au manchon et chapeau à plumes'' (c. 1905). Maxime Dethomas - Sous l’oeil des Barbares (1907).jpg, Maxime Dethomas: ''Sous l’oeil des Barbares'' (1907).

, 1907, n°459. Maxime Dethomas - L'Indifférente (c.1905).jpg, Maxime Dethomas: ''L'Indifférente'' (1907).

, 1907, n°460. (Albi) Femme Assise dans un parc - Maxime Dethomas - Musée Toulouse-Lautrec.jpg , Maxime Dethomas: ''Femme Assise dans un parc'' (1910)

. Maxime Dethomas - Acteur sur scène devant deux femmes (c1905).jpg, Maxime Dethomas: ''Acteur sur scène devant deux femmes'' (c. 1907). Maxime Dethomas - Elégante à l’éventail (Before 1910).jpg, Maxime Dethomas: ''Elégante à l’éventail'' (c. 1907). (Albi) Femme attablée au café - Maxime Dethomas 1908.jpg, ''Femme attablée au café'' (c. 1908). Maxime Dethomas - La Femme Ideale (1912).jpg, Maxime Dethomas: ''La Femme Ideale'' (1912). Maxime Dethomas - Parisienne assise (1914).jpg, Maxime Dethomas: ''Parisienne assise'' (1914). Maxime Dethomas - Une Femme Assise (1917).jpg, Maxime Dethomas: ''Une Femme Assise'' (1917).

Theatre

From 1910 to 1913, Dethomas worked under

Jacques Rouché Jacques Louis Eugène Rouché (16 November 1862, Lunel - 9 November 1957, Paris) was a French art and music patron. He was the owner of the journal ''La Grande Revue'' and manager of the Théâtre des Arts and the Paris Opera. Biography He w ...

during his tenure at the '' Théâtre des Arts''. Upon assuming management of the theater, Rouché enlisted the talents of several artists who had contributed to his magazine, ''La Grande Revue'', including Jacques Dresa, René Piot and Maxime Dethomas, none of which had previously worked for the stage. As director of the ''services plastiques'', Dethomas embarked on a career that would last for the remainder of his life. The ''Théâtre des Arts'' represented a major shift away from facile acting, shallow content and the painted-canvas drawing rooms of commercial theater that were the norm. The inaugural production, ''Le Carnaval des Enfants'' (1910), marked a major theatrical revolution by which Dethomas' settings accentuated line and colour, rather than a focus on painted detail and endless props. Against blue, ochre, grey and steel, black costumed characters created striking pictorial compositions in lighting effects that "varied like inflections in a conversation". The ''Théâtre des Arts'' went on to present nearly twenty plays, including

Jacques Copeau Jacques Copeau (; 4 February 1879 – 20 October 1949) was a French theatre director, producer, actor, and dramatist. Before he founded the Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier in Paris, he wrote theatre reviews for several Parisian journals, work ...

's adaptation of ''

The Brothers Karamazov ''The Brothers Karamazov'' (russian: Братья Карамазовы, ''Brat'ya Karamazovy'', ), also translated as ''The Karamazov Brothers'', is the last novel by Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. Dostoevsky spent nearly two years writing '' ...

'' (1911), and the stage production of ''La Tragédie de Salomé'' (1912), both a popular and critical success. Dethomas' reputation as a set and costume designer was such that by early 1912, he was commissioned by the British aristocracy to design a set and costumes for a London masked ball with some two thousand guests. Hired to direct and decorate at the

in 1914, Rouché and Dethomas went on to offer fresh interpretation of old material and to make inroads into stale scenic convention. By 1917, Dethomas was also designing sets and costumes for the '' Comédie Française''; the '' Théâtre Sarah-Bernhardt'' in 1919; the '' Théâtre Femina'' and ''

Le Trianon Le Trianon is a theatre and concert hall in Paris. It is located at 80, boulevard de Rochechouart, in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, at the foot of the hill of Montmartre. Café concert (1894–1900) The ''Trianon-Concert'' was built as a '' ...

'' in 1920; and the ''

Opéra-Comique The Opéra-Comique is a Paris opera company which was founded around 1714 by some of the popular theatres of the Parisian fairs. In 1762 the company was merged with – and for a time took the name of – its chief rival, the Comédie-Italienne ...

'' in 1926 as it celebrated

Manuel de Falla Manuel de Falla y Matheu (, 23 November 187614 November 1946) was an Andalusian Spanish composer and pianist. Along with Isaac Albéniz, Francisco Tárrega, and Enrique Granados, he was one of Spain's most important musicians of the first hal ...

's 50th birthday. With a program consisting of ''La Vida Breve'', ''El Amor Brujo'', and Master Peter's Puppet Show, Falla's close friend

and Dethomas collaborated to create sets and marionettes. During his seventeen years in the theatre, Dethomas was artistic designer for over fifty plays, ballets and operas, featuring many of the era's most notable actors, dancers, singers, playwrights and composers, including Roussel,

Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (6 April 1971) was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor, later of French (from 1934) and American (from 1945) citizenship. He is widely considered one of the most important and influential 20th-century clas ...

and

Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composers rejected the term. In ...

. In his colour schemes Dethomas used visual analogy paired with the play-writer's thematic intent, "the progression of each scene following perfectly the progression of the drama". Dethomas once wrote that above all else decor should be a good servant of the play and that a designer must get beyond a "painterly feel" to something more solid.

Guillaume Apollinaire Guillaume Apollinaire) of the Wąż coat of arms. (; 26 August 1880 – 9 November 1918) was a French poet, playwright, short story writer, novelist, and art critic of Polish descent. Apollinaire is considered one of the foremost poets of the ...

declared that Dethomas' influence on French Theatre had "transformed the art of scenery, costume design and staging." File:Theatre set design for Carnaval des Enfants at the Théatre des Arts (1910) by Maxime Dethomas.jpg, Set design for Act I and Act III of ''Carnaval des Enfants'', 1910. '' Musée des Arts Décoratifs''. File:Costume design for Les dominos sur la musique de Couperin (1911) - By Maxime Dethomas.jpg, Costume design for ''Les dominos sur la musique de Couperin'', 1911. '' Musée des Arts Décoratifs''. File:Set design for Prologue de Thésée held at the théâtre des arts (1913) by Maxime Dethomas.jpg, Set design for ''Prologue de Thésée'', 1913. '' Musée des Arts Décoratifs''. File:Costume design for Prologue de Thésée (1913) - By Maxime Dethomas.jpg, Costume design for ''Prologue de Thésée'', 1913. '' Musée des Arts Décoratifs''. File:Set design for Roussel's "Festin de l'Araignée", by the artist Maxime Dethomas (1913).jpg, Set design for Roussel's ''Festin de l'Araingnee'', 1913. '' Musée des Arts Décoratifs'' File:Costume design for Festin de l'Araingnee (1913) by Maxime Dethomas.jpg, Costume design for ''Festin de l'Araignée'', 1913. '' Musée des Arts Décoratifs''. File:Maxime Dethomas-Esquisse de décor pour Les Abeilles-1917.jpg, Set design for ''Les Abeilles'', 1917. '' Musée des Arts Décoratifs''. File:Costume design for Henry VIII (1920) - By Maxime Dethomas.jpg, Costume design for Henry VIII, 1920. File:Dethomas - maquette decor Sylvia.jpg, Set design for the first act of ''Sylvia'', 1922.

Associations

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

Henri Toulouse-Latrec (left) and Maxime Dethomas (centre) with unknown model in Lautrec's studio c

During 1887 Dethomas began frequenting the library-bookshop of the ''

'', a favorite haunt of young artists and writers, in which he first befriended

and

. Their friendship blossomed – so much so, that Dethomas would go on to become Toulouse-Lautrec's "favourite companion" and "closest friend". Always drawn to physical eccentricity, Toulouse-Lautrec nicknamed the 6'6" Dethomas '' 'Gros n'abre' '' (roughly: ''Big Tree''), for his imposing height and dead-pan face; Thadée Natanson described him as a gentle giant, polished and discreet – "He was so frightened of wearing anything that might draw attention to himself that even the black of his clothes seemed duller than that worn by others." Dethomas' placidity, corpulence and extreme shyness - he always blushed when he had to raise his voice - endeared him to Toulouse-Lautrec. Paul Leclercq claimed that Lautrec was fascinated by Dethomas' "ability to preserve an impassive appearance even in a place of amusement". Whilst much has been made of the comical dynamic of their friendship, Toulouse-Lautrec also derived an element of utility from his companion. Calm and seemingly distant, Dethomas generally walked through life a discreet and unassuming character. However, when he accompanied Toulouse-Lautrec, their contrasting heights invariably attracted attention, the bowler hat of the little man barely reaching Maxime's elbow. Yet the jeers stopped at the quiet strength of ''Gros n'arbre''. Contemporaries, like

Gustave Coquiot Gustave Coquiot (24 September 1865 – 6 June 1926) was a French art critic and writer. A collector of paintings by Maurice Utrillo, he also was one of Auguste Rodin's secretaries. Theatre * 1904: ''Deux heures du matin, quartier Marbeuf'' ...

, bear witness to this: "Lautrec loved Maxime Dethomas very much. This tall and strong fellow towered over him. With him, he felt under real protection. When together in the street, Lautrec never heard any ridicule. Dethomas, impassive and cold, always muzzled the crowd."

recalled that Toulouse-Lautrec playfully attributed his companion super-human strength and would loudly declare with mock seriousness that Dethomas "could have anyone's hide at his leisure!". Maxime Dethomas, Thadée Natanson and H

In the first days of 1891, Dethomas moved to an apartment at 8, Cité Pigalle, Montmartre - selected no-less for its proximity to the workshop of Eugène Carrière, than to that of his friends Toulouse-Lautrec and the photographer Paul Sescau. They lived but streets apart, often visiting the cafes, cabarets, shady bars and brothels of

, including the ''Moulin rouge'' and ''

Le Chat Noir Le Chat Noir (; French for "The Black Cat") was a nineteenth-century entertainment establishment, in the bohemian Montmartre district of Paris. It was opened on 18 November 1881 at 84 Boulevard de Rochechouart by the impresario Rodolphe Salis, ...

'', or extended stays at the notorious closed-houses, the ''Rue de' Amboise'' or the ''Rue Joubert''. By 1894, Toulouse-Lautrec and Dethomas were exhibiting together at ''

le Barc de Boutteville The art gallery of Le Barc de Boutteville, at 47 Rue le Peletier, Rue Le Peletier, 9th arrondissement, was one of the few places in Paris in the 1890s where young artists were welcome to present their work to the public, in the years after the deat ...

''.

On the 16th February, 1895, an infamous soiree was held by the Natansons to celebrate the unveiling of new murals by Vuillard. Chosen from among his friends more for the comedic effect than for his bartending skill, Dethomas assisted Toulouse-Lautrec serving drinks, replete with absurd costumes and flourishes of theatrical drama. Together they served over two thousand cocktails to three hundred guests. The event was long remembered as one of the most debaucherous evenings of the '' fin-de-siècle''. Such escapades played an essential role in the development and themes of both Dethomas' and Toulouse-Lautrec's art. Dethomas and Toulouse-Lautrec's adventures together were not limited to the streets of Paris. If Dethomas' close friend

Gabrielle Dorziat Gabrielle Dorziat (1880–1979) was a French stage and film actress. Dorziat was a fashion trend setter in Paris and helped popularize the designs of Coco Chanel. The Théâtre Gabrielle-Dorziat in Épernay, France is named for her. Biography ...

is to be believed, during the month of October, 1894, Dethomas and Toulouse-Lautrec travelled to Spain together, stopping at Madrid, Cordoue and Seville. In subsequent years their travels continued, visiting exhibitions, museums and mutual friends or exploring towns such as Granville,

Arromanches Arromanches-les-Bains (; or simply Arromanches) is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region of north-western France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Arromanchais'' or ''Arromanchaises''. Geography Arromanches-le ...

and

Dinard Dinard (; br, Dinarzh, ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Dinard'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine Departments of France, department, Brittany (administrative region), Brittany, northwestern France. Dinard is on the Côte d'� ...

, at which Dethomas had made use of a summerhouse. During the summer of 1895, they journeyed to the coast of Normandy together. From photographs taken by Dethomas at

Saint-Malo Saint-Malo (, , ; Gallo: ; ) is a historic French port in Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany, on the English Channel coast. The walled city had a long history of piracy, earning much wealth from local extortion and overseas adventures. In 1944, the Alli ...

with the Natansons during one such trip, he later modelled two portraits of Toulouse-Lautrec, both of which are held at the

From June 20 to July 5, 1897, Dethomas and Toulouse-Lautrec sailed Holland's canals on a barge, visiting

Utrecht Utrecht ( , , ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city and a List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, pro ...

, the

Frans Hals Museum The Frans Hals Museum is a museum located in Haarlem, the Netherlands. The museum was established in 1862. In 1950, the museum was split in two locations when the collection of modern art was moved to the '' Museum De Hallen'' (since 2018 called ...

at Haarlem and the island of

Walcheren Walcheren () is a region and former island in the Dutch province of Zeeland at the mouth of the Scheldt estuary. It lies between the Eastern Scheldt in the north and the Western Scheldt in the south and is roughly the shape of a rhombus. The two ...

. The trip had been the suggestion of Maxime in a vain attempt at moderating Henri's increasing reliance on alcohol. Accounts differ, but the trip appears to have ended early at Toulouse-Lautrec's behest. Before long, he went into a furious rage and refused to go ashore; children were running behind the barge on the bank of the canal, taking them to be a performing giant-dwarf duo that would perform circus tricks for their delight. During the mid-1890s, Lautrec featured Dethomas in his art with some frequency. On April 6, 1895, the former ''

Moulin Rouge Moulin Rouge (, ; ) is a cabaret in Paris, on Boulevard de Clichy, at Place Blanche, the intersection of, and terminus of Rue Blanche. In 1889, the Moulin Rouge was co-founded by Charles Zidler and Joseph Oller, who also owned the Olympia (P ...

'' dancer Louise '

La Goulue La Goulue (, meaning ''The Gourmand''), was the stage name of Louise Weber (12 July 1866 – 29 January 1929), a French can-can dancer who was a star of the Moulin Rouge, a popular cabaret in the Pigalle district of Paris, near Montmartre. Weber ...

' Weber commissioned two large canvases to adorn her travelling show's tent. Dethomas appears on the left-hand panel, looking down toward La Goulue. At around the same period, Toulouse-Lautrec declared "I will capture your immobility in places of pleasure", and over the course of one and a half years, he made numerous preparatory sketches of Dethomas intended for a single painting, each taking anywhere from five to fifteen minutes to create. Completed in 1896, the famous portrait of ''Maxime Dethomas at the Bal de l'Opera'' now hangs in the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. Another portrait of his friend took the form of a risque lithograph entitled ''Debauche Avec Dethomas'', and was later used on the cover of an exhibition catalogue of June, 1896. Finally, an 1896 lithograph entitled ''

Anna Held Helene Anna Held (19 March 1872 – 12 August 1918) was a Polish-French stage performer on Broadway. While appearing in London, she was spotted by impresario Florenz Ziegfeld, who brought her to America as his common-law wife. From 1896 through ...

et Baldy'' also features Dethomas, leering provocatively at the famous stage performer. Toulouse-Lautrec gifted an annotated proof copy of this lithograph to Dethomas. Anna Held et Baldy (1896) - H

During the final years of Toulouse-Lautrec's descent into full-blown alcoholism, Dethomas would rarely leave his side, often escorting him to his Montmartre home at the end of long drinking sessions. The two would spend many hours working and talking together at Henri's last Paris studio on avenue Frochot, sometimes sharing the same models, at all times Dethomas attempting to steer conversation away from the topic of alcohol.Milhou 1991, p.75 Henri's increasingly erratic behaviour was beginning to take its toll on both his family and friends. In a letter from December 8, 1898, Dethomas' discusses a lunch invitation he attended at Toulouse-Lautrec's home, at which Henri's mother was also present. Drama unfolded when conversation turned to Henri's troubles with a pair of naked mouthwash-drinking models - the lunch finally ending with Henri red-faced and shouting at his mother, declaring he could not stand life anymore, and that he will leave for Japan. Eight days later, Dethomas writes again of yet another event that fell victim to Henri's drunkenness, this time a dinner at Goupil's. Things began well, but before dessert had been served, Henri had passed out beneath the dining table, awaking at midnight with loud complaints about how low the ceiling was. "The poor boy is really in a pitiful state of health" Dethomas continued, "senility is approaching, death perhaps." It's unclear if Toulouse-Lautrec attended Dethomas' first solo exhibition during April 1900, though accounts of the Paris Exposition held the same month describe Henri's health having deteriorated to such an extent that he asked Maxime to push him around the various exhibits in a wheel chair - a request to which he dutifully obliged. The following month, on the suggestion of friends, Toulouse-Lautrec departed Paris for the country. In April 1901, upon hearing news of a stroke, Dethomas traveled to Bordeaux to see his friend. At the end of his stay, Henri recounted that he had taken ''Gros n'abre'' to the train station for his return to Paris, and given him a going-away present of two chameleons "who rolled their eyes terribly. We drank ''cafe au lait'' together at the station, and he's off like Saint-John the Baptist, the Forerunner, to announce my arrival." When Dethomas learned of his friend's death, he wrote to his mentor Madame Bulteau, Friday, September 13, 1901: Bulteau's reply of September 16 summed up very well the tone of the relationship between the two friends and the reason for the little man's deep attachment to his ''Gros n'abre'':

Jean de Tinan

In 1895 Dethomas formed what would become a brief but significant friendship with the young writer, Jean de Tinan. The charismatic twenty-one year old was a new arrival in Paris, and was soon a daily participant in the circuit of bars, cafes and theatres that Dethomas and Lautrec would frequent. Tinan quickly become their "young cadet", Lautrec illustrating the cover of his novel ''L'Example de Ninon de Lenclos amoureuse'', published in May, 1898. Dethomas introduced Tinan to Augustine Bulteau, and she “took charge” of the young writer, guiding him as she had Maxime years before. It was to her Venice estate that Tinan retreated during the final harrowing moths of his short life. A failing heart did not keep him from his work, though his final “sentimental little story” remained unfinished at the time of his death on November 18, 1898. ''Aimienne, ou le détournement de mineure'', was published posthumously; Tinan's final act was to dedicate the unfinished novel to Dethomas, as a “testimony of his deep affection.” As had Lautrec at the beginning of the year, Dethomas contributed lithographs to the publication which adorn the cover - his first such foray into the world of literature and a fitting tribute to his dear friend.

Ignacio Zuloaga

Arriving in Paris at the end of 1889 after a disappointing stay in Rome, the young Basque painter

first met Maxime Dethomas as a fellow student at the studio of

. They shared a deep admiration for

and Carrière, and would both later study under Carrière at the ''

''. More hungry for recognition and success than Dethomas, Zuloaga exhibited enthusiastically at the ''

Salon des Artistes Français The Salon (french: Salon), or rarely Paris Salon (French: ''Salon de Paris'' ), beginning in 1667 was the official art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Between 1748 and 1890 it was arguably the greatest annual or biennial art ...

'', the '' Barc de Boutteville'', the ''

Salon des Indépendants Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon (P ...

'', and the ''

Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts (SNBA; ; en, National Society of Fine Arts) was the term under which two groups of French artists united, the first for some exhibitions in the early 1860s, the second since 1890 for annual exhibitions. 1862 Es ...

''. Fame, however, did not come quickly. Disappointed, he returned to Andalusia, where he intended to renew his inspiration and craft a new artistic vision - one which would appease the fickle tastes of the Paris art community. By rare chance, Zuloaga and Dethomas ran into each other in Seville, a meeting that proved fortuitous for Zuloaga. Since his return to Spain, he had battled disappointment and poverty, but knew that if he could return again to Paris, he would surely find success. Retrato de Mlle

Dethomas' joy at finding his old Montmartre companion under such circumstances soon turned to sadness as Zuloaga explained his dire financial straits and his desperation to return to Paris to revive his artistic career. The seemingly intractable problems of a well-discouraged Ignacio were at once alleviated with a generous offer: "My workshop will be yours as much as it takes. Come to Paris. It's at 9 rue Duperré. Models, I'll find you. Home." The difficulties thus managed by the goodwill of Maxime, Ignacio returned to Paris in 1894. Presented to Mrs. Marie-Louise Dethomas, mother of Maxime's half-sisters Valentine, Germaine and Alice, Zuloaga was asked to make a portrait of the eldest. This portrait of Valentine would perhaps mark the moment at which their romance was kindled. Countess Mathieu de Noailles, by Ignacio Zuloaga

Countess Mathieu de Noailles, by Ignacio Zuloaga

Before the end of 1894, as he did for all his interesting friends, Maxime presented Zuloaga at the salon of Madame Augustine Bulteau. Her considerable reach within the arts community would smooth his path to recognition and ultimately lead to several commissions from her network of expatriate Spanish-speaking habitués, most notably, the 1913 portrait of the writer

Anna de Noailles Anna, Comtesse Mathieu de Noailles (Anna Elisabeth Bibesco-Bassaraba de Brancovan) (15 November 1876 – 30 April 1933) was a French writer of Romanian and Greek descent, a poet and a socialist feminist. Biography Personal life Born Princess ...

, which would stand as one of Zuloaga's most important works. On May 18, 1899, in Saint-Philippe-du-Roule, Ignacio Zuloaga, to whom success has just smiled at the ''

'', married Valentine Dethomas, with Eugène Carrière and

Isaac Albéniz Isaac Manuel Francisco Albéniz y Pascual (; 29 May 1860 – 18 May 1909) was a Spanish virtuoso pianist, composer, and conductor. He is one of the foremost composers of the Post-Romantic era who also had a significant influence on his conte ...

as witnesses. From a friendship born under the auspices of painting; re-invigorated by chance; and nourished by unbridled generosity; the family ties were thus consolidated between the two artists. For the next three decades the pair would stay firm friends.

Pierre Louys

The author Pierre Louys was also a close companion of Dethomas and had collaborated with him on the first edition of ''Le Centaure'' in 1896. During August and September, 1898, Dethomas acted as a marriage broker of sorts, attempting to bring together his half-sister Germaine and Louys, a plot that was thwarted by Maxime's stepmother, Marie-Louise Thierrée.

Marcel Proust

Dethomas had a number of prominent writer-friends, one of which was

Marcel Proust Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust (; ; 10 July 1871 – 18 November 1922) was a French novelist, critic, and essayist who wrote the monumental novel ''In Search of Lost Time'' (''À la recherche du temps perdu''; with the previous Eng ...

. Proust made a glowing mention of Dethomas' landscapes of Venice in '' The Sweet Cheat Gone'' and discussed the quality of his work after attending an exhibition held at ''Galerie Durand-Ruel''. In a March, 1903 letter to Dethomas, Proust wrote that after having seen his exhibition, he received "a profound initiation to the understanding of nature and love of life." He continued, "it seems that one has gotten from you new eyes to look at life and men and even down to those little windows on the Grand Canal that I would love to juxtapose with yours."Bucknall, p.178

Exhibitions

* 1894 - Exhibited at the 6th (sixième) '' Impressionistes et Symbolistes'' exhibition at the ''Galerie Le Barc de Boutteville'', commenced March 2, with

Gauguin Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin (, ; ; 7 June 1848 – 8 May 1903) was a French Post-Impressionist artist. Unappreciated until after his death, Gauguin is now recognized for his experimental use of colour and Synthetist style that were distinct fr ...

, Maufra, Jacquemin and others. (Review in ''Journal des débats politiques et littéraires'' – March 3, 1894.) * 1894 - Exhibited at the 7th (septième) '' Impressionistes et Symbolistes'' exhibition at the ''Galerie Le Barc de Boutteville'', commenced July 10, with Toulouse-Lautrec, Ibels, Maufra and others. Review makes particular mention of "a delightful pastel, Etude de femme, by M. Dethomas", and "the Woman with the Cup (''Femme à la tasse'') and Sleep (''Sommeil'') by Dethomas". (Review in ''Le Matin : derniers télégrammes de la nuit'' - July 22, 1894.) *1895 - Exhibited at the 8th (huitième) '' Impressionistes et Symbolistes'' exhibition at the ''Galerie Le Barc de Boutteville'' (commenced November 8). With Anquetin, Toulouse-Lautrec, Roussel and others. Dethomas received a notable mention. (Reviewed in ''Le Petit Parisien : journal quotidien du soir'' – November 12, 1894.) * 1895 - Exhibited at the 9th (neuvième) '' Impressionistes et Symbolistes'' exhibition at the ''Galerie Le Barc de Boutteville'' (commenced April 27). With Maurice Denis, d'Espagnet, Robbe and others. * 1895 - Exhibited at the 10th (dixième) '' Impressionistes et Symbolistes'' exhibition at the ''Galerie Le Barc de Boutteville'', with Anquetin, Leheutre, d'Espagant, Loiseau, Maillol, Regnier and others. (Reviewed September 19, 1895.) * 1895 - Exhibited at the ''

Maison de l'Art Nouveau The Maison de l'Art Nouveau ("House of New Art"), abbreviated often as L'Art Nouveau, and known also as Maison Bing for the owner, was a gallery opened on 26 December 1895, by Siegfried Bing at 22 rue de Provence, Paris.Martin Eidelberg and Suzan ...

'' : alerie_Samuel_Bing,_December_26,_1895_-_January_1896.html" ;"title="Samuel_Bing.html" ;"title="alerie Samuel Bing">alerie Samuel Bing, December 26, 1895 - January 1896">Samuel_Bing.html" ;"title="alerie Samuel Bing">alerie Samuel Bing, December 26, 1895 - January 1896with Vuillard, Lautrec, Rodin and others. Lot 75 — ''"Étude de femme en robe orange"''. An exhibition review of January 4 makes particular mention of ''"une jolie petite femme en rouge de M. Maxime Dethomas"''. * 1896 - Exhibited at the 11th (onzième) '' Impressionistes et Symbolistes'' exhibition at the ''Galerie Le Barc de Boutteville'' (commenced January 27) with Roussel, Piet and others. Lot entitled ''"Des fleurs"''. * 1896 - Exhibited at the 13th (treizième) '' Impressionistes et Symbolistes'' exhibition at the ''Galerie Le Barc de Boutteville''. ''Mercure de France'' exhibition review of September, 1896 states: ''"J'y retins avant tout le monde Dethomas, dont les esquisses sombres sont d'une coloration interessante, d'un gout sur, d'une elegance nerveuse qui fait augurer de serieux resultats."'' * 1897 - Exhibited at the 14th (quatorzième) '' Impressionistes et Symbolistes'' exhibition at the ''Galerie Le Barc de Boutteville''. ''La Justice'' review of July 8 states ''"Maxime Dethomas a composé une affiche originale pour cette quatorzième exposition, ainsi que des études d'intérieur avec do délicats profils de femmes."'' * 1900 - First solo exhibition took place at the ''Galerie des Artistes Modernes'', 19 rue Caumartin (Apr.26 - May 5). Exhibition revue in ''La Vie Parisienne'' of May 5, 1900 states: ' * 1901 - Exhibited at ''Galerie Silberberg'', 29 rue Taitbout (Nov.11) with Anquetin, Flandrin and others. * 1903 - Exhibited (Solo) at ''Galerie Durand-Ruel'', "sketches of Paris and Italy". Exhibition revue in the ''Gazette des beaux-arts'' supplement of April 25, 1903 states: ' * 1903 - Exhibited at ''La Libre Esthétique - Dixième Exhibition'' in Brussles (Feb.26 - Mar.29) with Denis, Rusinol and others. Maxime Dethomas - Salon d'Automne exhibition poster (1908)

Maxime Dethomas - Salon d'Automne exhibition poster (1908)

* 1903 - Exhibited at the 1st

at the Grand Palais des Champs-Élysées, Paris (Oct.31 - Dec.6). Three aquarelles (lot 655–657) titled: ''L'Epave'', ''Le chasseur'', ''Franche Lippee''. * 1904 - Exhibited at the St. Louis World's Fair, United States (Apr.30 to Dec.1). A drawing (Lot 595) titled: ''A Chat''. * 1904 - Exhibited at the 2nd

at the Grand Palais des Champs-Élysées, Paris (Oct.15 - Nov.15). Seven drawings (lot 1420–1426) titled: ''Transteverine'', ''Venitienne'', ''Parisienne'', ''Le premier violin'', ''Le second violin'', ''La violincelliste'', ''Le trombonne''. * 1905 - Exhibited at the 3rd ''

'' at the ''Grand Palais des Champs-Élysées'', Paris. Five drawings (lot 461–465) titled: ''Au moment du cafe'', ''Le Conferencier'', ''Premiere Auditrice'', ''Seconde Auditrice'' and ''L'Arpette''. * 1906 - Exhibited (solo) at the ''Galerie de l'Art Decoratif rue Laffitte' (Apr.23 - May.17) Sketches and charcoals of Venice and its people later used to illustrate Regnier's book ''Esquisses Venetiennes''. * 1906 - Exhibited at the 4th ''

'' at the ''Grand Palais des Champs-Élysées'', Paris (Oct.6 - Nov.15). Eight drawings (lot 464–471) titled: ''L’Inamovable'', ''La Cliente de la Cremerie'', ''Les Ouvreuses'', ''L’Age ingrat'', ''L’Habituee du petit Bar'', ''Dans le Promenoir d’un music-hall'', ''Les Trottinuers'' and ''Les Recits de l’experience''. * 1907 - Exhibited at the 5th International Exposition of Barcelona, with Zualoga and Rodin. * 1907 - Exhibited at the 1st ''Salon de Humoristes'' at the ''Palais de Glace'' with Forain and others. * 1907 - Exhibited at ''La Comédie Humaine'' (''Galerie Georges Petit'') with Forain, Degas and others. * 1907 - Exhibited at the 5th ''

'' at the ''Grand Palais des Champs-Élysées'', Paris (Oct.1 - Oct.27) Six drawings (lot 458 – 463) entitled : ''Sollicite et Solliciteur'', ''Sous l’œil des Barbares'', ''L’Indifferent'', ''Un Croquis'', ''La Lettre'', ''Etude''. * 1908 - Exhibited at the 2nd ''Salon de Humoristes'' at the ''Palais de Glace'' with Forain and others. * 1908 - Exhibited at the ''Exposition de la Toison d'or'', Moscow. * 1908 - Exhibited at ''La Comédie Humaine'' (''Galerie Georges Petit'') with Lautrec, Dresa and others. * 1908 - Exhibited with Rodin and Zuloaga at the ''Kunstverein'', Frankfurt, Germany. * 1911 - Exhibited at the 10th ''Salon d'Automne'' in the Grand Palais * 1911 - Exhibited (solo) drawings and sketches at ''Galerie Druet'' (Mar.27 - Apr.8). ''l’Action Francaise'' review of March 30 states: ' * 1911 - Exhibited at the International Exhibition of Turin (Apr. – Nov.). * 1911 - Exhibited at ''La Libre Esthétique'', Bruxelles (Mar.18 - Apr.23) with Vuillard, Denis and others. * 1911 - Exhibited with the ''Exposition annuelle 2eme groupe'' at ''Galerie Druet'' (Mar.13 - 25) with Baignières, Desvallières, Dufrénoy, Fleming, Guerin, Marque, Marval, Piot, Rouault, Jaulmes and Lacoste. * 1912 - Exhibited at ''Galerie Druet'' with Baignieres, Desvallieres, Flandrin, Geurin, Marquet, Marval, Piot and Rouault (Feb.5 – 17) * 1912 - Exhibited at the ''Artz and De Bois'' in The Hague, Netherlands (Mar. - Apr.) with Bussy and Huszar * 1913 - Exhibited with the ''Exposition annuelle 2eme groupe'' at ''Galerie Druet'' (Feb.17 - Mar.1) with Baignères, Desvallières, Dufrénoy, Fleming, Guerin, Marque, Marval, Rouault and Mare. * 1913 - Exhibited at the ''Societa Leonardo da Vinci'' (May. 11 – 31), in Florence, Italy. * 1914 - Exhibited with the ''Exposition annuelle 2eme groupe'' at ''Galerie Druet'' (Feb.9 - 21) with Baignères, Desvallières, Dufrénoy, Fleming, Guerin, Marque, Mrs Marval, Rouault, Bernouard and Moreau. * 1915 - Exhibited two framed drawings in the French Pavilion of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition (PPIE) Worlds Fair, San Francisco, U.S.A. * 1916 - Exhibited at the Detroit Museum of Art, U.S.A. The exhibition of PPIE works. (October Exhibition Catalogue) Lot. 80 - "Yvonne", Lot. 81 - "Jeanne" * 1917 - Exhibited with the ''Exposition annuelle 2eme groupe'' at ''Galerie Druet'' (May. 7 – 25) with Desvallières, Dufrénoy, Fleming, Guerin, Marque, Marval, Rouault and Barbier * 1922 - Exhibited at the ''Musée des Arts Décoratifs'', Louvre, Paris (Apr.12 - May. 7) with Emile Decoeur, Albert Marque and Paul Follot. * 1928 - Exhibited (solo) drawings and watercolours at the ''Galerie Simonson'', Paris (Mar.20 - Apr.5). * 1929 - Exhibited at the ''Salon d'Automne'', Paris. Retrospective including paintings, drawings, posters, illustrations, decorations etc. * 1992 - Exhibited (solo) at the ''Musée d'Orsay'', Paris (Feb.25 - May.24). * 2016 - Exhibited at the Museo de Bellas Artes de Granada, Spain (Jun.30 - Sept.18)

Publications

Dethomas made an important contribution to the renaissance of book production in France. The following list gives a broad representation of Dethomas' artistic contributions to published literary works: * Collectif, ''Le Centaure'', Vol 1, 1896 * Jean de Tinan, Aimienne, ''Ou le Detournement de Mineure'', 1899 * Henri de Regnier, ''Esquisses Venetiennes'', 1906 * Paul Adam, ''Le Trust'', 1910 * Eugène Montfort, ''La Turque - Roman Parisian'', 1912 *

Jean Giraudoux Hippolyte Jean Giraudoux (; 29 October 1882 – 31 January 1944) was a French novelist, essayist, diplomat and playwright. He is considered among the most important French dramatists of the period between World War I and World War II. His wo ...

, ''Amica America'', 1918 * François Chateaubriand, ''La Campagne Romaine'', 1919 *

, ''Adieu à la Guerre'', 1919 *

Rudyard Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English novelist, short-story writer, poet, and journalist. He was born in British India, which inspired much of his work. ...

, ''La Plus Belle Histoire du Monde'', 1919 * Jean and Jérome Tharaud, ''Dingley l'illustre écrivain'', 1920 *

Paul Claudel Paul Claudel (; 6 August 1868 – 23 February 1955) was a French poet, dramatist and diplomat, and the younger brother of the sculptor Camille Claudel. He was most famous for his verse dramas, which often convey his devout Catholicism. Early lif ...

, ''Tete D’or Drame'', 1920 * Andre Lebey, ''Jean de Tinan'', 1921 * Boileau Despreaux, ''Le Lutrin'', 1921 * Jaques Cazotte, ''Le Diable Amoureux'', 1921 * Jean de Tinan, ''Noctambulismes'', 1921 * Andre Maurois, ''Ariel ou la Vie de Shelly'', 1922 * Arthur Gobineau, ''Scaramouche'', 1922 *

Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (, ; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, , ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and world ...

, ''Theatre Complet'', 1923 * Albert Touchard, ''La Mort du Loup'', 1924 *

Edmond Jaloux Edmond Jaloux (19 June 1878, Marseille – 22 August 1949, Lutry) was a French novelist, essayist, and critic. His works tended to be set in Paris or his native Provence. He was interested in German Romanticism and English writers. In 1936 h ...

, ''Le Reste est Silence'', 1924 *

, ''Le Couvent de Bella'', 1925 *

Henry Prunières Henry Prunières (24 May 1886, in Paris – 11 April 1942, in Nanterre) was a French musicologist, and international proponent of contemporary art in various forms, including music, dance and painting. He occupies an important place in the art wor ...

, ''La vie et l`oeuvre de Claudio Monteverdi'', 1926 *

Anatole France (; born , ; 16 April 1844 – 12 October 1924) was a French poet, journalist, and novelist with several best-sellers. Ironic and skeptical, he was considered in his day the ideal French man of letters. He was a member of the Académie França ...

, ''Ouvers Completes Illustrees, Tome I, IX, XIII'', 1925–27 *

François Couperin François Couperin (; 10 November 1668 – 11 September 1733) was a French Baroque composer, organist and harpsichordist. He was known as ''Couperin le Grand'' ("Couperin the Great") to distinguish him from other members of the musically talented ...

, ''Les Folies Françaises, ou les Dominos'', 1927 *

Pedro Calderón Pedro is a masculine given name. Pedro is the Spanish, Portuguese, and Galician name for ''Peter''. Its French equivalent is Pierre while its English and Germanic form is Peter. The counterpart patronymic surname of the name Pedro, meaning ...

de la Barca, ''La Mojiganga de la muerte'', 1927 * Charles de Saint-Cyr, ''Sous le Signe du Caribou'', 1928 *

François Mauriac François Charles Mauriac (, oc, Francés Carles Mauriac; 11 October 1885 – 1 September 1970) was a French novelist, dramatist, critic, poet, and journalist, a member of the'' Académie française'' (from 1933), and laureate of the Nobel Priz ...

, ''La Nuit du Bourreau de Soi-meme'', 1929 *

Alphonse Daudet Alphonse Daudet (; 13 May 184016 December 1897) was a French novelist. He was the husband of Julia Daudet and father of Edmée, Léon and Lucien Daudet. Early life Daudet was born in Nîmes, France. His family, on both sides, belonged to the ...

, ''Sapho'', 1929

Henri de Régnier Henri-François-Joseph de Régnier (28 December 1864 – 23 May 1936) was a French symbolist poet, considered one of the most important of France during the early 20th century. Life and works He was born in Honfleur ( Calvados) on 28 December 1 ...

's ''Esquisses Vénitiennes'' (1906) represents Dethomas' first major exercise in book illustration. Whilst he had been visiting Venice each winter for several years, and accumulating a considerable portfolio of work in the process, the collaboration with Regnier for this project uniquely combined previously completed stand-alone coloured artworks, and a suite of black and white sketches in charcoal and

explicitly intended for use 'in-text'. In conjunction with the release of the book, Dethomas held an exhibition of the book's artworks at the ''Galerie de l'Art Decoratif'', which was both a popular and critical success.Milhou 1991, p.271 Dethomas' bold xylographic style lent itself well to the

lithographic process, and the in-text illustrations in ''Esquisses Vénitiennes'' set a standard by which Dethomas' subsequent illustration projects would follow. Employing the skills of engravers such as Léon Pichon and Emile Gasperini, his black and white drawings found their way into sitting rooms and libraries around the world. File:Maxime Dethomas - original planche No.1, Esquisses Vénitiennes (1906).jpg, Maxime Dethomas: original planche No.1, Henri de Régnier's ''Esquisses Vénitiennes'' (1906). File:Maxime Dethomas - original planche No.4, Esquisses Vénitiennes (1906).jpg, Maxime Dethomas: original planche No.4, Henri de Régnier's ''Esquisses Vénitiennes'' (1906). File:Maxime Dethomas - original planche No.5, Esquisses Vénitiennes (1906).jpg, Maxime Dethomas: original planche No.5, Henri de Régnier's ''Esquisses Vénitiennes'' (1906). File:Maxime Dethomas - unused illustration for Henri Régnier's Esquisses Vénitiennes (1906).jpg, Maxime Dethomas: unused illustration for Henri de Régnier's ''Esquisses Vénitiennes'' (1906). File:Maxime Dethomas - original in-text Illustration p.31, Henri Régnier's Esquisses Vénitiennes (1906).png, Maxime Dethomas: original in-text Illustration p. 31, Henri de Régnier's ''Esquisses Vénitiennes'' (1906). File:Maxime Dethomas - original in-text Illustration p.40, Henri de Régnier's Esquisses Vénitiennes (1906).jpg, Maxime Dethomas: original in-text Illustration p. 40, Henri de Régnier's ''Esquisses Vénitiennes'' (1906). File:Maxime Dethomas - original in-text Illustration p.46, Esquisses Vénitiennes (1906).jpg, Maxime Dethomas: original in-text Illustration p. 46, Henri de Régnier's ''Esquisses Vénitiennes'' (1906). File:Maxime Dethomas - original illustration for Eugene Montford's La Turque - Roman Parisian (1912).jpg, Maxime Dethomas: original illustration for Eugène Montfort's ''La Turque - Roman Parisian'' (1912).

References

Footnotes

Bibliography

* Agen, Manzani Diaz. ''Manuel de Falla: His Life and Works''. Omnibus Press, 1999. * Apollinaire, Guillaume. ''Apollinaire on Art: Essays and Reviews, 1902-1918''. Viking Press, 1972. * Blotkamp, Carel. ''De Stijl: The Formative Years, 1917-1922''. MIT Press, 1986. * Berthelot, Phillipe. ''Le Figaro''. p. 1-2. September 9, 1902. * Bibliothèque nationale (France). Département des estampes et de la photographie. Inventaire du fonds français après 1800. Tome sixième, Daumont-Dorange. 1953. * Boone, Elizabeth. ''Vistas de España: American Views of Art and Life in Spain''. Yale University Press, 2007 * Bucknall, Barabara. ''Critical Essays on Marcel Proust''. G.K. Hall, 1987. * Carson, Lionel. ''The Stage Year Book''. Carson & Commerford, 1917. * Carter, William. ''Marcel Proust: A Life''. Yale University Press, 2002. * Cheney, Sheldon. ''Stage Decoration''. Blom, 1966. * Cooper, Douglas. ''Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec''. H.N. Abrams, New York, 1956. * Craven, Thomas. ''A Treasury of Art Masterpieces''. Simon and Schuster, 1958. * Dortu, M.G. ''Lautrec by Lautrec''. Galahad, New York, 1964. * Frey, Julia. ''Toulouse-Lautrec: A Life''. Weidenfeld and Nicolson, London, 1994. * Garafola, Lynn. ''Legacies of Twentieth-Century Dance''. Wesleyan University Press, 2005. * Gale, Martin. ''La Presse''. May 27, 1902. * Garner, Philippe. ''Encyclopedia of Decorative Arts''. Galahad Books, 1982. * Gauzi, François. ''My Friend Toulouse-Lautrec''. Spearmen, London, 1957. * Gold, Arthur. ''Misia: The Life of Misia Sert''. Knopf, 1980. * Hecht, Anne. ''Toulouse-Lautrec: Paintings, Drawings, Posters, and Lithographs''. Museum of Modern Art, N.Y. 1956. * Howard, Jean. ''Shakespeare Reproduced: The Text in History and Ideology''. Routledge, 2005. * Huddleston, Sisley. ''France and the French''. Cape, 1928. * Lassaigne, Jacques. ''Lautrec: Biographical and Critical Studies''. 1972. * Londre, Felicia. ''The History of World Theatre''. Continuum, 1999. * Mack, Gerstle. ''Toulouse-Lautrec''. Knopf, New Yprk, 1953. * Milhou, Mayi. ''Du Moulin Rouge à l'Opéra : vie et œuvre de Maxime Dethomas, 1867-1929''. Bordeaux, 1991. * Milhou, Mayi. ''Ignacio Zuloaga et la France, These d'Histoire de l'Art''. October 1979, Bordeaux III. * Neiderauer, David. ''Pierre Louÿs, His Life and Art''. Canadian Federation for the Humanities, 1981. * Néret, Gilles. ''Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, 1864-1901''. Taschen, 1999. * Olivier, Fernande. ''Loving Picasso: The Private Journal of Fernande Olivier''. Abrams, 2001. * Prade, Guy de la. ''Le Cimetière de Passy et ses Sépultures Celebres''. Editions des Ecrivains, 1998. * Perruchot, Henri. ''Toulouse-Lautrec: A Definitive Biography''. World, Cleveland,1960. * Roger-Marx, Claude. ''L'Europe Nouvelle''. February 2, 1929, Paris. * Taylor, E.A. The Studio - Vol 84, No 353, August 1922, London. * Vauxcelles, Louis. ''Art and Decoration'', January, 1909. Paris. * Vauxcelles, Louis. ''Gil Blas'', July 7, 1905. Paris. * Wright, Willard Huntington. ''Modern Painting - Its Tendency and Meaning''. 1915.

External links

Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France
* ttp://www.arthermitage.org/Dethomas-Maxime/index.html The Hermitage Collection, Russiabr>Musée des Beaux-Arts, Bordeaux, FranceVan Gogh Museum, AmsterdamMaxime Dethomas, Archives nationales, Base ArcadeFonds Dethomas (Maxime), Bibliothèque nationale de France. Département des arts du spectacleRéunion des musées nationaux, Grand Palais, Agence PhotographiqueMaxime Dethomas, Gallica, Bibliothèque nationale de France
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dethomas, Maxime 1867 births 1929 deaths People from Val-d'Oise 19th-century French painters French male painters 20th-century French painters 20th-century French male artists Burials at Passy Cemetery Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur Les Nabis People of Montmartre 19th-century French male artists