Where can I see Edmond Maître?

Edmond Maître is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Edmond Maître?

Edmond Maître is associated with Impressionism.

Can I buy a print of Edmond Maître?

Museum-quality prints of Edmond Maître are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Edmond Maître

Frédéric Bazille , 1869

Edmond Maître is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Frédéric Bazille. It dates from 1869 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

Inscription: Inscribed:upper left: F. Bazille. 1869

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The portrait presents Edmond Maître as its central figure, rendering him as the sole subject of the composition.

The portrait presents Edmond Maître as its central figure, rendering him as the sole subject of the composition. According to the documented record, the work is a likeness of Maître, a contemporary of Frédéric Bazille, and functions as a conventional portrait that emphasizes the sitter’s presence rather than allegorical or symbolic motifs. The painting’s provenance records indicate that it remained within the Maître family and later entered the National Gallery of Art collection, underscoring its role as a representative example of mid‑nineteenth‑century French portraiture that documents individual identity through realistic representation.

Technique & Style

Edmond Maître is an oil on canvas portrait executed by Frédéric Bazille in 1869. The painting measures 83 by 64.2 centimeters and is classified as a portrait genre work. Its medium consists of oil paint applied to canvas support.

The work is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it has been preserved since its 1985 gift from Paul Mellon, who acquired it in 1960.

History & Provenance

The portrait of Edmond Maître was painted by Frédéric Bazille in 1869. It remained with the sitter until his death in 1898, after which it passed to his brother, Léon Maître. By at least 1935, the work was held by André Bazille, the artist’s nephew, and later by Mme Rachou-Bazille by 1959.

It was subsequently consigned to Wildenstein (London, New York, and Paris) and sold in August 1960 to Paul Mellon, Upperville, Virginia. Mellon donated the painting to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., in 1985.

The painting is held by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. It entered the collection in 1985 as a gift from Paul Mellon of Upperville, Virginia, having been purchased by Mellon from Wildenstein (London, New York, and Paris) in August 1960. Prior to Mellon, the work was held by Mme Rachou-Bazille in 1959, and before that by André Bazille, nephew of the artist, from at least 1935 until 1941. Earlier ownership passed from the sitter Edmond Maître (d. 1898) to his brother Léon Maître.

Exhibition history includes loans by André Bazille to shows in Paris in 1935 and 1937 and in Montpellier in 1941, and a loan by Mme Rachou-Bazille to an exhibition in Montpellier in 1959.

Overview

Frédéric Bazille, a French painter associated with the burgeoning Impressionist movement, created this oil on canvas portrait titled Edmond Maître in 1869. The work depicts his acquaintance, Edmond Maître, offering a focused study of the individual. This painting represents a departure from some of Bazille's other figure compositions, which frequently situated subjects within expansive outdoor settings.