May

Edgar Chahine

Returning to "Belle Epoque" portraiture in 1907 after the death of his fiance, Mary Jacobson, Chahine, like Toulouse-Lautrec, turned his focus to elegant "Belle Epoque" portraiture: Parisian entertainers: society women, performers, cafe habitues, 'femmes fatales', shoopkeepers, etc.

Chahine truly loved printmaking and worked in all the intaglio techniques, especially drypoint. With a nod to Whistler, he emphasizes the central composition, allowing the surround to drift away. "May" wears a large Victorian Gainsborough Hat, the black shadow of which provides a framing for her confident, direct eye contact with the viewer, as she lounges on a divan.

Gabriel Weisberg, in his essay in "Edgar Chahine: La Vie Parisienne" notes on page 23:

"With Lautrec often the guiding presence, Chahine also tried to synthesize the work of Paul Helleu and thus remain the master interpreter of women among Parisian printmakers..."