William Slocum DAVENPORT (1868-1938) - Lot 265

William Slocum DAVENPORT (1868-1938) A street in Montmartre Oil on canvas pasted on cardboard Signed lower left 37 x 46 cm. William Slocum Davenport Born in 1968 in New York State, W. S. Davenport was first and foremost a renowned dentist. At the end of the 19th century, he moved to Paris, where his brother Isaac lived. He became a reference in orthodontic surgery at the American Hospital in Paris, and counted Albert I of Belgium among his followers. As a humanitarian, he treated wounded soldiers during the Great War, for which he was awarded the Légion d'Honneur. Parallel to his brilliant career, he met the great American painter Whistler in 1896, who encouraged him and gave him much advice. He painted many canvases during his wanderings around France, notably the Côte d'Azur and Languedoc. His paintings found both an audience and recognition, and the Durand-Ruel gallery devoted an exhibition to him in 1926. One of his works was acquired by the prestigious University of Pennsylvania Museum. Davenport died in 1938. Provenance: through the family line of W. S. Davenport's chauffeur.