Delphin Enjolras (1865-1945)
 The letter
 Dry pastel
 Nineteenth
 Signed lower left: D Enjolras
 Good condition
 With frame: H.72.7 - L.55.7 - P.8 cm
 At sight: H. 53.5 - L. 36.7 cm
 Lovely pastel under glass representing a young woman sitting in disrobe reading a letter in subdued light.
 Delphin Enjolras was born on May 13, 1865 in Coucouron in Ardèche and died on December 23, 1945 in Toulouse.
 He is mainly known for his scenes of women in their interiors where the light is strikingly intimate, which has earned him the nickname "Painter of Reflections".
 Very young, he was passionate about drawing and showed great skills. Around 1882, he went to the Notre Dame de France boarding school in Puy-en-Velay, in order to continue his studies for 3 years. At the end of the boarding school, Mr. Giral, a friend of his Father, engineer of Ponts-et Chaussées, encourages him to prepare for the entrance examination to the "Local services" but in view of his passion for drawing, he suggests to his protégé to move towards the National School of Fine Arts, in Paris. It will have for Masters, Gaston Gérard, Jean-Léon Gérôme, Gustave Courtois and Pascal Dagan-Bouveret.
 When he left school, the Lycée de Grenoble offered him a position as a drawing teacher, which he declined, preferring to fully engage in his artistic career.
 His beginnings were difficult in Paris, so he decided to return to Puy-en-Velay in order to pursue his career more easily. He painted the old quarters of the city and portraits. He often exhibits at Monsieur Farigoules located near the Pannessac tower. During a trip to Corsica, he painted the portrait of the Prefect Bonnefoy Sibour, the latter of high quality, allowing him to exhibit in 1889 at the Salon des Artistes Français. He also painted other portraits of illustrious figures, which further established his reputation, General de Sonis, Admiral de Fayolle, General Thomas commanding the Place de Paris, Charles Louis de Tinguy, deputy of the Vendée.
 In 1892, Delphin Enjolras moved to Saint-Gilles-du-Gard in the Occitanie region at the invitation of Mr. Blachère, Member of the Ardèche. He then painted several paintings inspired by Camargue life: "The Return of the Bulls" , "Moutons de Camargue" , the "Marché de Saint-Gilles" and the "Exit of Mass" . In 1893, he married Marie Daudet who would remain his faithful companion for 52 years. Using pastel, he painted the portraits of many ladies from aristocratic circles on both banks of the Rhône, Mesdames de Geoffre, de Montluire, Monteynard, de Sabrant, Lafarge ... Feminine grace is highlighted in numerous intimate scenes that 'he strives to sublimate. The mastery of his pastels, rich in colors and play of light, earned him the nickname "Painter of reflections". Its notoriety is then indisputable in France and internationally.
 Delphin Enjolras exhibits his works at the Paris Salon; before becoming, in 1901, Member of the Society of French Artists, his works have been rewarded more than once. The Musée du Puy and the Musée d'Avignon both have a collection of his works. The purchase of his painting by the State, "The Death of Dupleix" , leads the Minister of Fine Arts to give him the academic palms.
 Delphin Enjolras was prolix, his work is as important as it is varied. In his workshop, he works tirelessly. In 1900, a journalist spoke of his work with more than gratifying words: "The compositions of Enjolras, as well by the charm of the subject as by the color, give off an impression of freshness and youth that he is the only one to produce and which are the cause of the favor with which they are received by those who love impeccable forms and beauty " .
 Delphin Enjolras died at the age of 81, in December 1945, a few months after the end of the Second World War.