Laid Paper Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Signed lower right, 'Frank M. Hamilton' for Frank Moss Hamilton (American, 1930-1999) and painted circa 1965. Titled, verso, 'The Smugglers, Hong Kong' on artist card and inscribed, ...

English School, 18th century Pen and black ink with gray wash on cream laid paper, 9 1/4 x 5 inches (238 x132 mm). 1/4 inch repaired loss, top center, to the left of the figure’s h...

Mid century watercolor figure study, a lively depiction of a reclining nude woman by Bay Area Figurative Movement artist Hubert Buel (American, 1915-1984)....

Artist: Unknown (Likely French, 18th Century) Title: "La Femme Muse" *No signature found Circa: 1780 Medium: Original Pastel Drawing on heavy laid paper Frami...

James Tissot was among the most successful and critically acclaimed artists of the Victorian era. Although the artist is celebrated for his elegant scenes of fashionable life in Paris and London, this work is a fascinating rarity within his oeuvre. In this monumental pastel, Tissot depicts a prehistoric woman draped in a tiger skin, presented with a striking pose and heroic air. His delicate portraiture, combined with his fascination with conveying texture, demonstrates why he was one of the most revered artists of his generation, and La femme préhistorique illustrates the remarkable technique for which he was renowned. This work was completed in preparation for a series of works exploring the Old Testament undertaken by Tissot from 1899-1902 that remained unfinished at the time of his death. A portion of this series focused on illustrations of Adam and Eve, and among these sketches were images of a nude Eve partially draped in animal furs. Towards the end of his life, following his conversion to Catholicism, biblical subjects became important to the artist. A few years before this work was completed, Tissot embarked upon a highly ambitious group of nearly 300 watercolors illustrating the New Testament, presenting the illustrated epic in its entirety at the Paris Salon of 1894. Both of these series were a critical artistic departure for the artist, stemming from a desire to create works separated from his typical images of modern society. This pastel imagines Eve as the prototype of womanhood in the guise of a prehistoric woman. Tissot rarely painted the nude, and his skill as a draftsman highlights the figure's natural beauty, contrasting it with the stark landscape surrounding her. Although a study, this monumental work is incredibly well-finished and highly engaging, with the statuesque model commanding the majority of the canvas. Her pose is strong and theatrical, and she addresses the viewer with a direct, confident gaze. The imagined historical subject of this drawing is grounded by Tissot’s exceptional attention to detail. A master of conjuring an array of textures, Tissot showcased this ability in this work by juxtaposing many types of fabrics and natural elements within one composition. The tiger skin with which the woman partially covers herself was a favorite studio prop of Tissot’s, appearing in many of his most influential works from the period, including several paintings of his partner and favorite model Kathleen Newton. It, in particular, showcases the artist’s understanding of texture, yet it also serves as an exotic element that elevates the sensuality of the scene when placed against the woman’s bare skin. Born in 1836 in the port town of Nantes, Tissot traveled to Paris at the age of 20 in order to join the studios of Hippolyte Flandrin and Louis Lamothe. During this period, he became close with James Abbott McNeill Whistler, Edgar Degas and Edouard Manet, and the impact of these friendships is reflected in his portraits of modern life. Having enjoyed considerable success in Paris during the 1860s, Tissot fought in the Siege of Paris, and after the fall of the Commune in 1871, he went to London, where he stayed for the next ten years. He was met with incredible success there, and he also met the love of his life, Kathleen Newton, a divorcée, with whom he lived from about 1876 until her death in 1882. Today he is regarded among the great masters of Belle Époque painting, and his works can be found in important collections worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, the National Gallery of Art, the Musée d’Orsay, the Tate Gallery and many others. This pastel remained in Tissot's private collection until his death in 1902 and is referenced in the posthumous 1902-3 valuation of Tissot's home at 64 avenue du Bois...

Signed lower right, 'Mallory' for Ronald Mallory (American, 1932-2021) and dated 1975. A dramatic, disjunct figural study of a man wearing a checked cap, shown dancing and playing ...

Lucius Rossi (1846-1913) was an Italian portrait and figurative painter who worked and lived in Paris. He was a friend and painter of many of the High Society people in Paris. A pain...

The drawing, pencil on laid paper 29 x 27 cm, represents a moment of rest during the Flight to Egypt. It's a study on an etching ispired by a Guido Reni's painting, made by him durin...

1930's watercolor figurative landscape depicting the First Church of Christ Congregational in Milford, Connecticut by J. Nolan of Providence, Rhode Island (American, 20th Century). S...

Colorful figurative landscape watercolor painting of Columbia, California, showing two men in cowboy hats. By Lillie Eesther (Hillman) Heebner, a Monterey Bay area artist. Signed "L....

Gorgeous watercolor seascape of waves over rocks by Donald Swyner (American, 20th Century), circa 1990. Signed lower left corner. Presented in rustic wood frame. Shipped without glas...

Signed lower right, 'John T Stephens' (American, 20th century) and painted circa 1965; additionally inscribed, verso, with title, 'Leaving the Garden of Eden' and signed. Paper dime...

Signed lower left, 'Denis Paul Noyer' (French, b. 1940) and created circa 1975. An exceptionally finely-detailed, silver point and colored pencil drawing showing a view of a Parisia...

Pen and ink on tan laid paper

Surreal abstract figurative of a dreamy, meditative scene including multiple figures and flowers, blended with sill-life and landscape elements by Noel Howard (American, 20th Century...

Marcel Gromaire, 1892-1971, French "Nu Debout", 1951 Ink on paper, Signed and dated lower right GROMAIRE Marcel: Born July 24, 1892 in Noyelles-sur-Sambre (North), died April 11,...

A vintage watercolor capturing a statue of an ascetic in a garden by Theodore Ernest Langguth (German-American, 1861-1952). 1915-20. Signed "T. Langguth" in lower left. Presented in ...

Superb original drawing in coloured conté pencils, heightened with white on oatmeal coloured vergé paper by Claudio Bravo. The work was created during the artist's Moroccan period, a...

Guiseppe Aureli (1858-1929) "An Opulent Evening" c. 1880s Watercolor on Paper Signed Lower Right Site Size: approx. 30 x 20 inches Framed Size: approx. 37 x 29 inches Giuseppe Aureli (December 5, 1858 in Rome – 1929) was an Italian painter and watercolorist. His work is noted for its historical subject matter, portraits of Italian noble families as well as genre paintings and local scenes, especially work with Oriental themes. He received his early art education at the Academia de San Luca where he was the pupil of Pietro Gabarini and Cesare Maccari.[1] He exhibited in various exhibitions; including: The International Exhibition of 1888 in Munich and the World Fair of 1893 in Chicago, but his Oriental works were rarely included in these early exhibitions. Having his workshop at 48 Via Margutta in Rome, Aureli was in a position to exchange ideas with the most prolific Orientalist artists at that the time. He used the same staircase that led to a rabbit-warren of studios including those of Filippo Bartolini, Enrico Tarenghi...

Colt Type 10, 2016 Mixed media on hand-collaged paper 10 1/2 × 8 in 26.7 × 20.3 cm