William Slocum DAVENPORT (1868-1938) - Lot 270

William Slocum DAVENPORT (1868-1938) View of Carcassonne Oil on canvas Signed lower left, stamped by Blanchet, marchand de couleurs, on the back 41 x 100 cm William Slocum Davenport Born in 1968 in New York State, W. S. Davenport is 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.