September Morn by Paul Emile Chabas (Matinée de septembre) circa 1912

"September Morn" (Matinée de septembre) is one of the most celebrated and controversial paintings by the French academic painter Paul Émile Chabas (1869–1937). Created around 1912, the work depicts a young woman standing in the shallow waters of a tranquil mountain lake, leaning slightly forward – as if hesitantly testing the cool temperature of the early morning water. Her pose is natural, unstaged, and filled with a delicate, almost shy grace.

The figure is shown from behind, her gaze turning gently to one side. Her short, auburn hair frames a youthful profile. The scene is bathed in a soft, golden morning light that reflects off the still water, enveloping the entire composition in warm tones of ochre, cream, and ivory. In the background, mountains and soft cloud formations rise hazily, reinforcing the dreamlike, almost ethereal atmosphere of the work.

Chabas painted the scene at Lac d'Annecy in the French Alps, masterfully combining impressionistic light technique with academic figure painting. The brushwork is fine and vibrating, the light seemingly breathing through the canvas itself. The work was exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1912, where it was awarded a gold medal.

The painting achieved international fame, however, through an unexpected scandal in the United States: when a postcard reproduction began circulating in New York, the image sparked a fierce public debate about morality and art. Anthony Comstock, head of the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice, attempted to ban the distribution of the postcard – which paradoxically caused worldwide interest in the painting to skyrocket. "September Morn" became a genuine cultural phenomenon of its era, appearing on countless pieces of merchandise and popular memorabilia.

Resolution 9000 x 6700 px