Print by Albert GUILLAUME based on “The Vallières Rally Hunt: The Lost Ones.”
Color print based on the frieze at the Hôtel du Grand Cerf in Senlis, painted by Albert Paul GUILLAUME (1873–1942) for its inauguration in 1911.
Print in good condition in postcard format with a dry stamp on the left. Pitchpine frame with hanging system. Signs of wear on the print, glass, and frame.
 
Overall dimensions: 37.5 x 16.5 cm.
Viewing dimensions: 27.5 x 6.5 cm.
 
Price: 50 Euros.
Ref: 135.
 
The work of Albert Guillaume (Paris, 1873 – Faux, 1942) falls within the realm of humor, emblematic of the Belle Époque.
In 1909, the artist acquired the Petits-Ponts estate in Fontaine-les-Cornus (Fontaine-Chaâlis). The proximity of the Ermenonville Forest, where the Vallière rally took place, inspired Albert Guillaume in 1911 to create the high frieze decoration in the dining room of the Hôtel du Grand-Cerf in Senlis. With the advent of the automobile, the hunters would stop in Senlis before heading into the forest for the hunt. The Hôtel du Grand-Cerf served as a rallying point for them.
Its owner since 1909, Charles Gienger, had it fitted with “state-of-the-art” amenities before inaugurating it on June 24, 1911, in the presence of numerous dignitaries—including Gaston Calmette of *Le Figaro*—who had come from Paris to admire Albert Guillaume’s decor. Through a series of seven paintings, the artist presents his playful take on scenes from a hound hunt. Among the stylish figures, Albert Guillaume includes recognizable personalities such as the Marquis de Noailles, master of the Vallière hunt, and the Baron de Neuflize, his partner.
The hotel was sold in 1947. Its last owners, the Davidsen family, sold it in 1976 to a bank, Crédit Agricole, after depositing Albert Guillaume’s paintings, which they donated to the Musée de la Vénerie. The artist transposed this series into lithographs, a medium particularly well-suited to his outlined forms and flat areas of color on a gold background.