Le Fumeur

20th-century oil on canvas, signed lower right Marie-Madeleine Masson (1901–1977). A label affixed to the lower edge of the frame gives the title Le Fumeur (“The Smoker”) and the date 1939.

A moody and singular portrait, this bust-length depiction presents a male figure in three-quarter view, his face tilted downward. He wears round glasses, and only the head is fully worked. The face is constructed in fractured planes of color, greens, ochres, muted reds, suggesting a post-Cubist or Expressionist influence.

A sharp white stroke escapes from his mouth, not clearly a cigarette, nor fully smoke, but a movement that introduces tension into the composition.

The body and shoulders are only lightly sketched, directing all visual weight toward the head. The figure appears absorbed, withdrawn, creating a restrained and introspective atmosphere. The neutral gray-brown ground acts as a muted screen, heightening the psychological presence of the subject.

Painted in 1939, the work carries the quiet gravity of its moment. It reads as a psychological portrait shaped as much by interior tension as by outward likeness.

About the artist:

Very little biographical information is available on Marie-Madeleine Masson (1901-1977). A French painter of the 20th century, she was mainly active between the interwar period and the postwar years. Her work belongs to a restrained figurative tradition, attentive to landscapes and quiet atmospheres, characterized by a measured palette and balanced compositions.

• Overall Size: 26.7" x 22.4" / 68.5cm x 57cm. 
• Size without the frame: 25.5" x 21.2" / 65.5cm x 54cm. 
• Country of origin: France
• Signature: Marie-Madeleine Masson (1901-1977). 
  
• Creation date: 1939. 
• Condition: The work shows several signs of age, including a small opening in the canvas on the central left side, close to the frame. This opening is visible from the front but is covered on the reverse by the stretcher bar. Several stains and surface marks are present, suggesting that the work may have been stored in a humid environment at some point. Despite their visibility, these traces resonate with the painting’s foggy atmosphere and ultimately contribute to its character rather than detract from it. The frame also bears marks of use, with multiple scratches and impacts, suggesting a portrait that has lived an active and eventful life.
• Materials: Oil painting on canvas in a golden wooden light frame.
• Shipped with DHL: Complimentary shipping to the US and Europe. A surcharge will be applied for deliveries to Australia, New Zealand, and Asia.
• DDP shipping: All taxes and import fees are included in the listed price.