Alfonso Toran Art

Jean Grimal is a true 20th century discovery. This breathtaking piece is a gorgeous example of his mastery as an artist. He beautifully creates chiaroscuro in this painting. The way the light touches the edges of the Chinese bowl and the grapes is an example of his skill in representing light. Jean Grimal (1942-1998) was born in the town of Tulle, France in 1942. Jean’s family moved to Paris when he was 8 years of age. After receiving a classical French education with studies in Latin and Greek, Jean Grimal entered the University to receive his Baccalaureate. He then attended Claude Barnard School for three years, when he received his Art Degree.  Upon completion Grimal taught art for seven years.  As Grimal’s own interest in formal painting and art began to possess him, the artist’s destiny changed.  In 1967 Jean Grimal stepped aside from teaching and pursued a career in professional painting and working as an illustrator in advertising.  As an advertising illustrator, Grimal worked with Lise Goldfard for more than 25 years at Studio 44 where they collaborated with major and important accounts, such as: Air France, Christofle, Peugeot, Lacoste, to name a few. At the same time he began presenting his formal paintings to galleries in Paris and Cannes, France and in London and Windsor, England.  Much to his surprise, Grimal found that his paintings were sought after by major art galleries and collectors throughout Europe.  After a number of years of being an important and successful art illustrator for these major accounts, he found himself having to choose between the two.  Fortunately for collectors, he chose to dedicate his life to the classical style of painting.  Jean looked at the simplest things in life through a microscope, where he could take the simplest object and depict the age of the fruit or the leaf. Jean Grimal received great pleasure from his work and painted for over thirty years.  As his style matured and became ever more perfect Jean Grimal truly reached the pinnacle of his career.  The artist’s methods were particularly distinguished when measured against his peers.  Grimal’s painting skill was distinctive and exceptional. Jean Grimal was known for his realistic trompe l’oeil and still life paintings.  The artist would carefully arrange the objects to form a satisfying composition.  By painting every shadow, highlight, and reflection within each composition Grimal brought mundane subjects to life.  His tight rendering combined with his attention to light and detail allowed him to blur the lines between illusion and reality, truly making his works one of a kind.  Grimal’s trompe l’oeil paintings consist of intricate compositions of cards, envelopes, photographs, paper of different materials and weights, backs of canvases, images of other artists’ works, kitchen utensils, pistols, and more.  Grimal had a talent for mastering these illusions that deceive the eye in his trompe l’oeil paintings.    No matter what genre Grimal was painting, tight, unperceivable brushwork characterizes his work.  The artist painted every crease and crinkle, every shadow and highlight, every detail.  By doing so, he was able to capture each individual surface texture of the objects in his paintings.  Grimal was also fabulous at depicting light in his paintings- often contrasting strong lights with strong darks, creating chiaroscuro modeling.  His still life paintings are reminiscent of Dutch seventeenth century...

Oil on panel, signed and dated 2018. Classic French black wooden frame with gold leaf. Unframed size: 19.69 inches high x 19.69 inches wide. Framed size: 25.2 inches high x 25.2 inches wide x 1.25 inches deep. Sold framed. Inspired by the modest works of the French painter, Chardin, this classic composition focuses on the simple, zen-like qualities of the gustatory delights of Stefaan’s locale, where bread and cheeses are freshly made and sold at his favorite outdoor market. Interposed with a large knife and antique glass wine bottle...

Oil on panel, signed and dated 2007. Classic French black wooden frame with raised panel and gold leaf. Unframed size: 18.11 inches high x 14.96 inches wide. Framed size: 25.6 inches high x 22.4 inches wide x 1.25 inches deep. Sold framed. Inspired by 17th century Masters, Davidz De Heem and Willem Heda...

Oil on panel, signed and dated 2012. French handmade wooden Delf frame, raised panel with dark gold/bronze patina and gold leaf. Unframed size: 19.09 inches high x 15.75 inches wide. Framed size: 29.5 inches high x 25.125 inches wide x 1.63 inches deep. Sold framed. Stefaan’s tribute to the great French neoclassical painter stems from first seeing Gericault’s horses...

Oil on panel, signed and dated 2001. French wooden frame in ivory with gold leaf. Unframed size: 19.7 inches high x 23.6 inches wide. Framed size: 26.4 inches high x 30.5 inches wide x 1 inch deep. Sold framed. The first Eyckmans’ painting to employ a brighter, golden palette, this everyday kitchen scene explores the differing textures of the objects within. The artist’s love of all things French is exemplified here with antique pottery, a starched linen tablecloth, breadboard and, of course, fruit and favorite cheeses. Note the superb shadowing of the board extending over the table, the detailing in the chèvre and paper wrapping to the left, and the asymmetrical cluster of stemmed Muscat grapes, all illuminated by easterly light. Classical in perspective and execution, but with a more contemporary feel that derives from the use of color and light, this painting marks a transformational point in the artist’s work. This painting is available for viewing at The Elemental Garden...

Oil on panel, signed and dated 2013. French handmade wooden Delf frame, black raised panel with silver leaf. Unframed size: 35.4 inches high x 40.6 inches wide. Framed size: 44.1 inches high x 49.2 inches wide x 1.5 inches deep. Sold framed. Quinces are a symbol of fertility, and for the artist, they’re adored for their voluptuous, irregular shape. To him, imperfect fruits are more realistic, more truthful, and most beautiful. In this large composition, the bright, primary coloring of the quinces is heightened by their placement in front of the vintage oil can...

Oil on panel, signed and dated 2009. French handmade wooden Delf frame, red bolus ground with gold leaf. Unframed size: 11.8 inches high x 19.7 inches wide. Framed size: 21.3 inches high x 29.1 inches wide x 1.25 inches deep. Sold framed. This striking and animated combination of plums with a 15th Century earthenware bowl placed atop a worn plank table hearkens back to the Old Masters while remaining present-day through its geometric composition and use of negative space. Chosen for the pictorial qualities…their shape, color, scale, and satiny skin, a true representation of plums is difficult to capture, as their essence changes and degrades in a matter of hours. As such, the artist focused on including their essential details in the first layer, a practice that is unusual for him. Note the exceptional detailing in the fine variations of color and shape of the fruit, particularly the stems, and the progressive feel attained through the balance of light and color. This painting is available for viewing at The Elemental Garden in Woodbury, CT, the exclusive U.S. representative for the artist. Stefaan...

Hal Alexander Courtney Morrison was born in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island in 1852. Part of British North America at the time, PEI was quite rural and in order to pu...

Surreal hyper realistic trompe l'oeil oil painting by Latin American artist Victor Del Castillo. Peaches, grapes and cherries in rich brilliant colors and incredible detail. Measures...

A fine oil by James Paterson (1854-1932) circa 1910's. oil on canvas 51cmx64cm Antique oak frame with giltwood slip frame 73cmx 83cm An interesting still life compostion consisting essentially of momento mori objects with sprigs of flower blossom. All relate to the life of Joan of Arc. Good original condition having craquelure to the paint surface, small areas of blistering which is stable. James Paterson's oil paintings make up to 10,000USD at auction alone. Viewing welcome. Higher resolution images available. Worldwide shipping arrangeable. James Paterson PRSW RSA RWS (21 August 1854 – 25 January 1932), was a Scottish landscape and portrait painter associated with The Glasgow Boys movement of artists. He is best known for his landscape paintings of Dumfriesshire, where he lived, at Moniaive from 1885 to 1905. ames Paterson was born at Blantyre, near Glasgow on 21 August 1854, the eldest son of Andrew Paterson (1819-1907) and his wife Margaret Hunter (1817-1901). The Hunter family were sewed muslin manufacturers in Glasgow. When his father was orphaned at nineteen his uncle James Hunter appointed him a foreman in his warehouse and took him into partnership two years later at the early age of twenty-one. His father was a good watercolourist as well as one of the earliest amateur photographers in Scotland and most of his family developed artistic interests. James' brother William, born 1859, later became the owner of a gallery in Bond Street, London and his youngest brother Alexander, born 1862, became an architect.James studied at the Glasgow School of Art under Robert Greenlees and subsequently in Paris under Louis Jacquesson de La Chevreuse (1839-1903) and Jean-Paul Laurens (1838-1921). A couple of years after returning to Scotland he married, in 1884, Eliza Grier Ferguson, daughter of an engineer, William Ferguson...

One of America's most important realist painters, Eric Forstmann's work is proudly held in many public & private collections, such as the Rauschenberg Foundation, Aurelius Capital Ma...

Oil on canvas, signed and dated 2016. French handmade wooden Delf raised panel frame, gold leaf and green patina on red bolus background. Unframed size: 25.6 inches high x 21.3 inches wide. Framed size: 33.5 inches high x 29.2 inches wide x 1.13 inches deep. Sold framed. The true colors of the painting are shown in photos #1 and 2. With its mostly white tones and intricate, textured background, this work is nearly a complete departure from the artist’s other paintings. Although it is executed in a powerful chiaroscuro from a classical point of view, the counterpoint of contemporary objects with the vibrant colors make this painting distinctly modern. Green cabbage and spring onions “pop” against the simple white enameled jug...