Artwork
The Cigarette (Jeanne Daurmont)
The Cigarette (Jeanne Daurmont) is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Walter Richard Sickert. It dates from 1906 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition isolates the subject to emphasize the gesture and the presence of the smoke, presenting a straightforward representation of modern life.
The Cigarette depicts a woman shown in profile, engaged in the act of smoking. Created by Walter Sickert in 1906, the work focuses on this singular, intimate moment of a female figure holding a cigarette. The composition isolates the subject to emphasize the gesture and the presence of the smoke, presenting a straightforward representation of modern life.
The painting captures the woman's head and shoulders, highlighting the profile view as the primary mode of observation. While the specific identity of the sitter is not detailed in the available records, the depiction centers on the habit of smoking as performed by a woman in the early twentieth century.
Technique & Style
The Cigarette (Jeanne Daurmont) is an oil painting on canvas created in 1906. The work measures approximately 50.8 × 40.6 cm and is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Sickert renders a profile view of a woman holding a cigarette, using a restrained palette and loose brushwork that emphasize linear contour and subtle tonal modulation.
The composition foregrounds the sitter's posture and the act of smoking, employing delicate modeling of light and shadow to convey a naturalistic yet intimate atmosphere. The painting's formal qualities reflect early-twentieth-century British portraiture's focus on everyday subjects.
History & Provenance
The painting The Cigarette (Jeanne Daurmont) by Walter Sickert is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It entered the museum's collection as part of the institution's holdings, though the specific accession or inventory number is not provided in the available documentation. The work, executed in oil on canvas in 1906, measures 50.8 × 40.6 cm. The sources consulted do not record any exhibition history for this piece.
Overview
Walter Sickert's The Cigarette (Jeanne Daurmont), painted in 1906, is an oil work by the German-born British artist. It exemplifies his Post-Impressionist approach to depicting urban life and its inhabitants. The painting features a woman shown in profile, engaged in the everyday act of smoking, a common theme in Sickert's oeuvre. This piece is part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection.
Context
As a prominent figure in the Camden Town Group, Walter Sickert was dedicated to portraying the unvarnished realities of modern existence. His interest extended to depicting everyday activities and urban figures, sometimes drawing inspiration from press photographs. The Cigarette aligns with this artistic philosophy, offering a glimpse into a private, unglamorous moment, characteristic of his broader exploration of city life.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Walter Richard Sickert (31 May 1860 – 22 January 1942) was a German-born British painter and printmaker who was a member of the Camden Town Group of Post-Impressionist artists in early 20th-century London.
