Marie de Hoa LeBlanc (American/Louisiana)

Lot description

Marie de Hoa LeBlanc (American/Louisiana, 1874-1954, active Newcomb College, 1895-1914), "View of New Orleans from Algiers Point", oil on canvas, signed lower left, inscribed with artist and title on reverse of frame, 20 in. x 30 in., framed, overall 26 in. x 36 in. x 1 5/8 in. Note: Emilie and Marie de Hoa LeBlanc were two of five children born to Charles Emile LeBlanc and Elizabeth Eulalie de Hoa. Emilie was the older of the two, born in New Orleans in 1870, and Marie was born four years later. The family lived at 1225 Chartres Street, where the sisters remained after the death of their parents in 1920 until they moved to a home on Coliseum Street in 1930. The pair remained extremely close, and they lived, worked and traveled together until Emilie’s death in 1941. Both women attended Newcomb College which would mark the beginning of their long and flourishing relationship with the institution. As some of the earliest pioneering students, their works were included in the first public exhibition of Newcomb’s decorated pottery in 1896. Later, they became paid instructors where they influenced a generation of young female artists. The pair were well-recognized in their field – with the Museum of Fine Arts Boston acquiring one of Emilie’s oak leaf design vases as early as 1899 after exhibiting a selection of ten Newcomb pots, and Marie winning the bronze medal at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis for one of her designs. The sisters’ skill stands out even among the group of talented women at Newcomb Pottery, and they became two of the most accomplished and prolific decorators during the early years of production. Their vibrant paintings and surviving sketches serve to further highlight their artistic gifts and creativity. Ref.: Conradsen, David, Ellen Paul Denker, et al. The Arts & Crafts of Newcomb Pottery. New York: Skira Rizzoli, 2013; Poeche, Jessie. Newcomb Pottery: An Enterprise for Southern Women, 1895-1940. Atglen: Schiffer Publishing, 1984; Spinozzi, Adrienne. “Marie de Hoa LeBlanc and Early Newcomb Designs.” Journal of Antiques & Collectibles. www.journalofantiques.com. Accessed May 2, 2024.