Portrait of Mrs Mante and her children, 1905–1906.
Oil on canvas, 232 x 170 cm
Marseille Museum of Fine Arts
History: acquired in 1953 from Mrs Mante
As part of my academic research on collecting in Marseille and the circulation of artworks between the late 19th century and the first third of the 20th century, I am working to reconstruct the collection of paintings and art objects assembled by Louis Mante (1857–1939), a discerning art lover and son of Victor Régis, a shipowner and merchant from Marseille.
Louis Mante lived in Marseille at 7 Rue de l’Arsenal, spent his summers at the Château de Valmante (in a place called Le Cabot), and also occupied the Clermont-Tonnerre mansion at 118 Rue du Bac in Paris. After his death, his collection was dispersed in several sales: on 28 November 1956 at the Charpentier gallery, on 17 and 18 December 1956 at the Hôtel Drouot, and then on 28, 29 and 30 May and 3, 4 and 5 June 1958 at Valmante.
I am seeking any information that may shed new light on this now dispersed collection: manuscripts, correspondence, photographs, inventories, archival documents, provenance of works, or any other evidence, even fragmentary. Any information would be invaluable in helping to reconstruct this collection.
Olivier Barriol
obarriol@yahoo.fr
+33 6 87 51 66 52