Chloé (artwork)

Chloé is an 1875 oil painting by French academic painter Jules Joseph Lefebvre. Measuring 260 cm by 139 cm, it depicts the naiad in "Mnasyle et Chloé", an idyll by French poet André Marie Chénier (30 October 1762 – 25 July 1794).[1]

Chloé
ArtistJules Joseph Lefebvre
Year1875 (1875)
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions260 cm × 139 cm (100 in × 55 in)
LocationYoung and Jackson Hotel, Melbourne

The painting hangs in the Young and Jackson Hotel in Melbourne, Australia, where it has been since 1909.[2] Chloé is a Melbourne icon and was the mascot of HMAS Melbourne.[3]

History
Chloé on display at the National Gallery of Victoria, 1883
Chloé at the Young and Jackson Hotel

Chloé made its debut at the Paris Salon 1875. It was subsequently displayed at the 1879 Sydney International Exhibition and the Melbourne International Exhibition (1880).[1]

Chloé was then purchased by Dr. Thomas Fitzgerald of Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, for 850 guineas.[3] Controversy arose when the painting was to be exhibited on Sundays so Fitzgerald withdrew Chloé from the gallery.[4] Upon Fitzgerald's death in 1908, the painting was purchased at auction by Henry Figsby Young.[3] In 1908, Young installed the painting in the saloon bar of Young and Jackson Hotel.[3]

Influence on soldiers

Chloé captivated many soldiers who frequented the bar of Young and Jackson's Hotel during World War I, World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Letters were addressed to her from the trenches in Turkey, France, and Papua New Guinea, promising to return to her. American soldiers even went as far as coming up with a plan to abduct her.[3]

Exhibitions

Awards
  • 1879 – Won highest award at the Sydney International Exhibition
  • 1880 – Won highest award at the Melbourne International Exhibition

Damage and restoration

On Friday, 24 September 2004, at 8:30 pm, a hotel patron fell against the painting and caused long vertical cracks in its 5-millimetre (0.2 in)-thick protective glass.[5] Art experts said the damage was minor and would not affect the overall value of the painting.[5] It was repaired at the Ian Potter Conservation Centre in the Ian Potter Museum of Art in Melbourne, where it waited for protective German glass to be imported, and was restored to the hotel bar on 13 October 2004.[6]

Young and Jackson Hotel

Chloé is to remain part of the hotel forever, as decided by the National Trust and Heritage of Victoria in 1988.

References
  1. Kell, Katrina (2020). "Evanescence of an Artist's Model: Jules Lefebvre's Chloé". Index Journal: 1–39.
  2. "Chloe at the Young & Jackson Hotel" Archived 3 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Melbourne Online
  3. "Chloe – Jules-Joseph Lefebvre", details, OnlyMelbourne.com.au. Retrieved 18 March 2014
  4. "Chloe", Young and Jackson. 18 March 2014 Archived 26 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  5. Milanovic, Selma (28 September 2004). "Chloe's encounter scratches surface". The Age. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  6. Villarreal, Ignacio, ed. "Melbourne's Famous Chloe Painting Restored", Art Daily. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
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