39¼x24½ inches, 99¾x62¼ cm. H. Chachoin. Paris. Condition A- / A: minor repaired tears at edges; small pin holes and top and bottom right corners.
A unique composition, with the famous statue of Augustus Caesar - "Augustus of Prima Porta," (heir of Julius Caesar), prominently staged in the architectural framed foreground. He holds the staff that is absent in the Greek marble copy, and has lost the dolphin-riding cherub at his feet, giving him the lifelike quality of a narrator, introducing the modern scene behind him. Looking past this carved trompe l'oeil border, we see the "new thermal establishment" bustling with 1930s beachgoers and tennis players. It is no wonder why the Roman Empire was drawn to the region of Aix, due to these hot springs, some of the ruins from their occupation remaining today. Aix-Les-Bains enjoyed its prominence as a spa town until the mid 20th century, when it began to diversify its economy. Le Tennis A l'Affiche np, Tennis p. 89.
