Armand Point, from Oise to Los Angeles

6/3/24 - Acquisition - Beauvais, Musée départemental de l’Oise - The bloody head of Saint John the Baptist remains invisible, though it is suggested by the look, smile and gesture of the cruel Salomé, who holds out a silver basin to receive it (ill. 1). Armand Point prefers to focus on the charms of the femme fatale rather than the atrocity of the torture she demands. This painting, exhibited in 1911, was acquired in 2023 by the Musée départemental de l’Oise from the Artwins gallery and will be included in the forthcoming exhibition "Histoire(s). Mythes, récits et merveilles" from 17 April 2024.

1. Armand Point (1861-1932)
Salome, 1911
Oil on canvas - 82 x 117 cm
Beauvais, Musée départemental de l’Oise
Photo: Artwins

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The painter depicted Herodias’ daughter on several occasions: a later drawing and painting, produced in 1925 and 1926, have come onto the art market, whose composition is fairly comparable to that of the painting in Oise, despite their vertical format (ill. 2 and 3) : Richly dressed Salomé is standing front-on, carrying a basin on which an additional accessory has been long-term loaned: the beheading sword. On another canvas, the artist has chosen to depict the young woman dancing in front of Herod, thus expressing her sensuality in another way (ill. 4).

2. Armand Point (1861-1932)
Salome, 1925
Pencil - 72.5 x 63 cm
Private collection
Photo: SGL Enchères

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Armand Point was born in Algiers in 1861. He was educated in France, but returned to his native country in 1878 where he remained for about ten years, training with the painter Hippolyte Lazerges. He successfully developed an Orientalist style of painting, and his first picture, sent to the Salon of 1882, was acquired by the State. On his return to Paris, he was commissioned to paint several decorative panels for the Algerian Pavilion at the 1889 Universal Exhibition. He was tempted by realism, as shown…