1. Léon et Joséphine
A turn‐of‐the‐century art collector who was blind. A girl who accompanied him on visits to the ateliers of Montmartre and who served as his “eyes.” The gradual accrual of a collection of what would later be hailed as modern masterworks, including Picassos, Utrillos, and Modiglianis. And the bitter fate of being forced to sell them for little more than they were originally purchased for, after the economy was rocked by World War I inflation… and just before prices in the art world skyrocketed. This is the story of Léon Angély—also known as “Père” Angély—and a mysterious gamine who may or may not have been named “Joséphine,” about which so little is known.
Devon, England. ]December 2021. Watercolor and India ink
on Langton watercolor paper, 8 x 8 inches.Z
