1885

ECA control number: 28032 (old #23580)

Record level: Listing

Record type: Timeline year

Artist time line: Emil Carlsen [1848-1932]

Year: 1885

Subject age: 37 years old

Locations:
France—Paris
France—Grez
France—Moncour
United States—Massachusetts—Goucester

World news:

Local news:

Points:
– In 1884, with Emil’s growing exhibition presence, came growing success with critics and art buyers. One such art dealer who took notice of the Dane’s work was Theron J. Blakeslee (1853-1914) of New York. Blakeslee, originally from Massachusetts traveled from New York city to visit Carlsen in his studio in Boston.
– Blakeslee strikes a deal with Carlsen to send him to Paris to paint floral still-lifes. Blakeslee would guarantee the purchase of one painting a month if Carlsen painted the works in Paris. Blakeslee had clients who wanted European paintings in America. Carlsen accepted the offer and left for Paris in 1884.
– Emil would work for other dealers as well to make ends meet in Paris.
– Emil paints a genre painting of a woman plucking chickens which he begins in 1884 and finishes in 1885.  He submits it to the Paris Salon and is accepted.
– Based on dated works, Emil visited Moncour and Grez, France.
– Living in Paris near the Louvre, where he could admire and study Chardin, Carlsen tells many stories of still life painting—how at times they would eat the fruit, or mortgage themselves deeply to buy the flowers they needed. It was at this time he changed his palette and swung into lighter colors.
– It is unclear how a work of Gloucester, MA is from this date, but Carlsen may have come back to America for a vacation or short period of time.

Paintings: (30)
– Peonies and Kang Hsi vase, ca.1885.
– Meadow stream, ca.1885.
– Polishing the brass, 1885.
– Vase of flowers, 1885.
– Portrait of French woman, ca.1885.
– Still life with flowers, 1885.
– Flowers [in copper urn], ca.1885.
– Still life with chrysanthemums [in wrapped pot], ca.1885.
– Still life, geranium plant, 1885.
– Sunlit flowers in a Chinese bowl, ca.1885.
– Spider dahlias, ca.1885.
– Still life with fish, bread and onions, 1885.
– Still life: chrysanthemums, 1885.
– Still life with goose, 1885.
– Still life with poultry, 1885.
– Still life with fowl and copper pot, 1885.
– Game [watercolor], ca.1885.
– Cape Ann sands, 1885.
– Fruit (30), ca.1885.
– Peonies in an oriental vase, ca.1885.
– Fishing boat on shore, (Paris), 1885.
– A girl preparing poultry, 1885.
– Women in kitchen interior, ca.1885.
– The old junk shop, ca.1885.
– Still life with grapes, 1885.
– Still life of three woodcocks, 1885.
– Still life : fruit (26), ca.1885.
– May, 1885.
– Still life with oriental doll, ca.1885.
– Landscape with trees, 1885.

Exhibitions:
1885 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA, “Loan exhibition“, January.
1885 Société des Artistes Français, Paris, France, “The Paris salon”, May 1 – June 30. Shown A girl preparing poultry, 1884/1885 (#461) & [a still life]
1885 National Academy of Design, New York, NY, “60th annual exhibition”, November 22 – December 18.