Princess Ruspoli in Venice

Description of the artwork

From the early 1920s onwards, Domergue, a gold medalist at the Salon des Artistes Français, was in demand in the advertising and fashion industries. In June 1922, he organized his first grand ball at the Opéra, on the theme of 18th-century Venice. The "Bal des Mille Beautés" was grandiose. An elegant audience decked out in Venetian cloaks, marvelous hats and gold-embroidered gowns transformed the party into an artistic achievement hailed by critics for its rare quality.
Our painting, dated 1922, is a testimony to this event sublimated by Domergue, who was to become a veritable magician of the Fête until the 1960s. In it, he reproduced the composition published on the cover of Femina magazine in June 1919, depicting Princess Ruspoli, wearing her black tricorne and a sumptuous gown with gold highlights.

Literature

"Jean-Gabriel Domergue, L'art et la mode" by Gérard-Louis Soyer, Ed. Sous le Vent, reproduced p.60
The authenticity of this work has been confirmed by Noé Willer.