Lamplight Fantasies of Delphin Enjolras

Delphin Enjolras (French, 1857 –1945) did one thing, but he did it pretty well.

He nearly always painted well dressed ladies in opulent interiors at eventide lit by electric light.

Sometimes they're by themselves looking at a book, or sewing, or playing with a cat.

Occasionally he'll place them on a balcony or a garden. But there's always that light. There must have been a ready market for these images of casual elegance and radiant illumination.

During his lifetime he witnessed the invention and adoption of electric light, which must have seemed magical, especially when the warm glow of the light was contrasted with the cool light of the sky.