A Portrait of Arthur Huc
Paris, 1892
Oil on millboard
28.5 x 53.5 cm
This portrait was given by Denis to his patron and supporter Arthur Huc (1854 – 1932). He was an art critic and newspaper owner in Toulouse.
The artist adopts an unusual horizontal format, allowing him to frame the nonchalantly-posed figure with a patterned wallpaper and a curling plume of cigarette smoke. This mixture of more realistic forms and abstract patterns, reflects Denis’ role in the artists’ group known as the Nabis (Prophets). They adopted a more decorative and symbolic style, in reaction to the naturalistic concerns of the Impressionists.
Purchased 1987 (No.87.1)
