Honoré Daumier
A Meeting of Lawyers

Public Domain

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Artist Honoré Daumier (French, 1808–1879)French, 1808–1879

CultureFrench

Titles

A Meeting of Lawyers

Datec. 1860

PlaceFrance

MediumOil on wood

Dimensions7 5/16 × 9 3/8 in. (18.4 × 23.8 cm)

Credit LineJohn A. and Audrey Jones Beck Collection, gift of Audrey Jones Beck

Object number74.137

Current Location

The Audrey Jones Beck Building

222 Beck Galleries

On view

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Department

European Art, Beck Collection

Special Collections

Object Type

PAINTING

Provenancevan der Hœven Collection, by 1878 [1]; Hubert Debrousse (La Teste-de-Buch, 1844–La Chapelle-Rablais, 1899), Paris, by 1899 [2]; [his estate sale, Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, “Collection de feu M. Hubert Debrousse,” 4–6 April 1900, no. 111] [3]; Charles Viguier (Haute-Saône, 1859–Paris, 1918), Paris, by 1906 [4]; [his sale, Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, “Tableaux modernes [. . .],” 4 May 1906, no. 17, illus.] [5]; M. Dressoir, Paris, by 1923 [6]; [Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, Paris]; Dudensing; [Valentine Gallery, New York, by 1931] [7]; purchased by James Thrall Soby (Hartford, CT, 1906–Norwalk, CT, 1979), New Canaan, Connecticut, 2 November 1931 [8]; [Wildenstein and Co., New York]; Grace Rainey Rogers (Cleveland, 1867–Greenwich, 1943), New York, by 1943; [her estate sale, Parke-Bernet Galleries, New York, “Collection of the late Grace Rainey Rogers,” 18 November 1943, lot 48, illus. in b/w] [9]; Billy Rose (New York, 1899–New York, 1966), New York, by 1961; [sold by his estate, Parke-Bernet Galleries, New York, “French and Other Modern Paintings and Drawings,” 13 December 1961, lot 67, illus. in b/w]; Robert Q. Lewis (New York, 1920–Los Angeles, 1991), Los Angeles, by 1968; [sold by him, Parke-Bernet Galleries, New York, "Important Impressionist and Modern Paintings," 3 April 1968, lot 47, as “Reunion d’avocats,” illus. in b/w]; purchased by Mr. and Mrs. John A. Beck, Houston, 1968; given to MFAH, 1974.

[1] As “Wan der Hoewen,” this unidentified individual loaned the work to the Durand-Ruel exhibition of 1878 and was also the lender of no. 71, Les enfants au bain. As “Van der Howeven,” the collector loaned two drawings: no. 221, Le bonjour de deux avocats; and no. 222, Don Quichotte.

[2] Jean-Hubert Desbrousse was a businessman, politician, philanthropist, and art collector. He was elected mayor of La Chapelle-Rablais in 1876 and his family owned the newspaper La Presse until 1879.

[3] “Collection de feu M. Hubert Debrousse,” Digitized on Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/tableauxmodernes00gale_21. (Accessed by Julia May Boddewyn, 20 August 2024).

[4] 1943 P-BG sale catalogue. Charles Viguier was an important collector and the Brigadier of the Musées nationaux.

[5] Debrousse is the only provenance given in the sale catalogue. The work sold for 2,550 francs per handwritten note (catalogue in the collection of the Watson Library, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)

[6] 1923 Klossowski: “spater bei Dressoir.” Dressoir has not been identified

[7] The Valentine Gallery was run by Valentine Dudensing (New York, 1892–France, 1967), from 1926 to 1947. His Paris agent was Pierre Matisse (France, 1900–New York, 1989), who likely procured this work for the gallery.

[8] Soby’s acquisition of Daumier #346 from the Valentine Gallery on 2 November 1931 is recorded on page 145 of the gallery’s sales records, vol. III. (Dec. 1930–Dec. 1939). F. Valentine Dudensing Gallery Ledger Books, Museum of Modern Art Archives, New York.

[9] “Collection of the late Grace Rainey Rogers,” Digitized on Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/notablefrenchfur00park/page/n3/mode/2up?view=theater (Accessed by Julia May Boddewyn, 20 August 2024).

Exhibition History"Honoré Daumier," Galerie Durand-Ruel, Paris, 1878.

“Exhibition of Important Paintings: Old and Modern Masters in the New York Art Market, from the Collections of Leading New York Dealers,” American Art Association, Anderson Galleries, New York, 15 March–4 April 1931, no. 105, as “Les Advocats [sic],” p. 27, loaned by Valentine Gallery

"The Collection of John A. and Audrey Jones Beck," The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 1974.

"Honoré Daumier 1808-1879: The Armand Hammer Daumier Collection," The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 1985.

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