Jane Nérée-Gautier (1877–1948)
Still Life with Asters
Oil on canvas
35 × 46 in.
Signed lower right
Born in Bordeaux in 1877, Jane Nérée-Gautier emerged as a respected participant in the Paris Salon tradition of the early twentieth century. She made her Salon debut at the age of twenty-eight and continued to exhibit successfully, receiving an Honorable Mention in 1925—an important distinction within the competitive academic exhibition system of France. Working within the refined naturalist tradition of French still-life painting, she developed a reputation for luminous floral compositions and carefully orchestrated domestic interiors, reflecting both technical discipline and an elegant sensibility aligned with Salon aesthetics.
Still Life with Asters exemplifies her mature style. The composition balances porcelain, glass, and polished metal against a richly arranged bouquet of asters, demonstrating her control of texture, light, and surface reflection. The careful placement of objects before a mirrored backdrop enhances depth and visual harmony, while the restrained palette reinforces the painting’s quiet sophistication. Provenance includes Schillay & Rehs, Inc., New York, and a Manhattan estate, underscoring the continued appreciation for her work among collectors of fine European academic painting.
