Late 19th Century Figurative Paintings

Ideal head by 19th-century American painter.

Two figures in 19th century dress sit at a table in a cafe. Provenance: Private Collection, New Jersey Originally based in New York City, William Bodfish was a talented artist who gained recognition for his illustrations and cartoons in the late nineteenth century. A painter of genre scenes, he also created detailed illustrations of hunting, whaling and fishing adventures for such magazines as Harper's Weekly. In the years following the Civil War, he traveled to the American West, joining the legion of journalists and illustrators who recorded the development of the new frontier. He was considered by historians to be one of the most “able cartoonists” to tackle the West. During his lifetime, Bodfish exhibited work at the National Academy of Design and the Art Institute of Chicago. Likely created after the artist’s departure from New York, The Sister’s Visit records a quiet moment between two siblings. Seated before a lovely spread of luncheon items, including a bowl of oranges...

ENRIQUE ATALAYA Spanish, 1851 - 1913 BELEM´S TOWER, LISBON signed "ATALAYA" (lower right) oil on wood panel 6-1/4 x 8-1/8 inches (15.8 x 20.5 cm.) fram...

Exhibited: Société Nationale des Beaux-arts, Paris, 1893 (as Jeune Fille arrosant ses fleurs) Literature: Michel, Jean Pierre, François Guiguet (Corbelin, France, 1996), p. 102 (n...

French Post-Impressionist painter Georges d’Espagnat captures a charming moment between a mother and her child in this vibrant oil on canvas. Rendered with a studied use of complementary colors and bold brushstrokes, the painting showcases the artist's unique Post-Impressionist style. Remembered as one of the most individualistic artists of the 20th century, his distinctive canvases bring together the loose brushwork of the Impressionists and the bold color palette favored by the Fauves. Together, they achieve a vibrant spontaneity that lends itself well to the carefree subjects of the present work. Masterfully composed, La lecture au jardin moves beyond the Impressionist instinct to capture a fleeting moment on canvas. Rather, d'Espagnat succeeds in creating a deep feeling of harmony in the work. Warm colors are perfectly balanced with cool tones, while vertical and horizontal lines are softened by the curves of the foliage and his subjects' figures. Through his simplification of forms and intentional use of color and line, he creates a scene that is carefully designed and thoroughly modern. A similar view of a mother and her child by d'Espagnat is currently in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York). The Post-Impressionist painter was an individualist since his youth, choosing to forgo traditional schooling in order to independently study the Old Masters in the Louvre. He soon became involved with the most prominent Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painters of the age, including Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Paul Signac, who themselves existed outside the traditional norms of French Academic training. In 1891, he exhibited at the Salon des Refusés, and again the following year at the Salon des Indépendants. By 1895, he held his first one-man show in Paris, and just three years later his success earned him a solo show at the prestigious Durand-Ruel Gallery. Between 1905 and 1910 he made several trips to visit Renoir on the Côte d’Azur. Their close friendship resulted in a group exhibition at Marcel Bernheim...

Medium: Oil on Canvas Dimensions: 28.00" x 22.00" Signature: Signed Lower Right

Harry Humphrey Moore led a cosmopolitan lifestyle, dividing his time between Europe, New York City, and California. This globe-trotting painter was also active in Morocco, and most importantly, he was among the first generation of American artists to live and work in Japan, where he depicted temples, tombs, gardens, merchants, children, and Geisha girls. Praised by fellow painters such as Thomas Eakins, John Singer Sargent, and Jean-Léon Gérôme, Moore’s fame was attributed to his exotic subject matter, as well as to the “brilliant coloring, delicate brush work [sic] and the always present depth of feeling” that characterized his work (Eugene A. Hajdel, Harry H. Moore, American 19th Century: Collection of Information on Harry Humphrey Moore, 19th Century Artist, Based on His Scrap Book and Other Data [Jersey City, New Jersey: privately published, 1950], p. 8). Born in New York City, Moore was the son of Captain George Humphrey, an affluent shipbuilder, and a descendant of the English painter, Ozias Humphrey (1742–1810). He became deaf at age three, and later went to special schools where he learned lip-reading and sign language. After developing an interest in art as a young boy, Moore studied painting with the portraitist Samuel Waugh in Philadelphia, where he met and became friendly with Eakins. He also received instruction from the painter Louis Bail in New Haven, Connecticut. In 1864, Moore attended classes at the Mark Hopkins Institute in San Francisco, and until 1907, he would visit the “City by the Bay” regularly. In 1865, Moore went to Europe, spending time in Munich before traveling to Paris, where, in October 1866, he resumed his formal training in Gérôme’s atelier, drawing inspiration from his teacher’s emphasis on authentic detail and his taste for picturesque genre subjects. There, Moore worked alongside Eakins, who had mastered sign language in order to communicate with his friend. In March 1867, Moore enrolled at the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts, honing his drawing skills under the tutelage of Adolphe Yvon, among other leading French painters. In December 1869, Moore traveled around Spain with Eakins and the Philadelphia engraver, William Sartain. In 1870, he went to Madrid, where he met the Spanish painters Mariano Fortuny and Martin Rico y Ortega. When Eakins and Sartain returned to Paris, Moore remained in Spain, painting depictions of Moorish life in cities such as Segovia and Granada and fraternizing with upper-crust society. In 1872, he married Isabella de Cistue, the well-connected daughter of Colonel Cistue of Saragossa, who was related to the Queen of Spain. For the next two-and-a-half years, the couple lived in Morocco, where Moore painted portraits, interiors, and streetscapes, often accompanied by an armed guard (courtesy of the Grand Sharif) when painting outdoors. (For this aspect of Moore’s oeuvre, see Gerald M. Ackerman, American Orientalists [Courbevoie, France: ACR Édition, 1994], pp. 135–39.) In 1873, he went to Rome, spending two years studying with Fortuny, whose lively technique, bright palette, and penchant for small-format genre scenes made a lasting impression on him. By this point in his career, Moore had emerged as a “rapid workman” who could “finish a picture of given size and containing a given subject quicker than most painters whose style is more simple and less exacting” (New York Times, as quoted in Hajdel, p. 23). In 1874, Moore settled in New York City, maintaining a studio on East 14th Street, where he would remain until 1880. During these years, he participated intermittently in the annuals of the National Academy of Design in New York and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia, exhibiting Moorish subjects and views of Spain. A well-known figure in Bay Area art circles, Moore had a one-man show at the Snow & May Gallery in San Francisco in 1877, and a solo exhibition at the Bohemian Club, also in San Francisco, in 1880. Indeed, Moore fraternized with many members of the city’s cultural elite, including Katherine Birdsall Johnson (1834–1893), a philanthropist and art collector who owned The Captive (current location unknown), one of his Orientalist subjects. (Johnson’s ownership of The Captive was reported in L. K., “A Popular Paris Artist,” New York Times, July 23, 1893.) According to one contemporary account, Johnson invited Moore and his wife to accompany her on a trip to Japan in 1880 and they readily accepted. (For Johnson’s connection to Moore’s visit to Japan, see Emma Willard and Her Pupils; or, Fifty Years of Troy Female Seminary [New York: Mrs. Russell Sage, 1898]. Johnson’s bond with the Moores was obviously strong, evidenced by the fact that she left them $25,000.00 in her will, which was published in the San Francisco Call on December 10, 1893.) That Moore would be receptive to making the arduous voyage across the Pacific is understandable in view of his penchant for foreign motifs. Having opened its doors to trade with the West in 1854, and in the wake of Japan’s presence at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition of 1876, American artists were becoming increasingly fascinated by what one commentator referred to as that “ideal dreamland of the poet” (L. K., “A Popular Paris Artist”). Moore, who was in Japan during 1880–81, became one of the first American artists to travel to the “land of the rising sun,” preceded only by the illustrator, William Heime, who went there in 1851 in conjunction with the Japanese expedition of Commodore Matthew C. Perry; Edward Kern, a topographical artist and explorer who mapped the Japanese coast in 1855; and the Boston landscapist, Winckleworth Allan Gay, a resident of Japan from 1877 to 1880. More specifically, as William H. Gerdts has pointed out, Moore was the “first American painter to seriously address the appearance and mores of the Japanese people” (William H. Gerdts, American Artists in Japan, 1859–1925, exhib. cat. [New York: Hollis Taggart Galleries, 1996], p. 5). During his sojourn in Japan, Moore spent time in Tokyo, Yokohama, Kyoto, Nikko, and Osaka, carefully observing the local citizenry, their manners and mode of dress, and the country’s distinctive architecture. Working on easily portable panels, he created about sixty scenes of daily life, among them this sparkling portrayal of a young woman dressed in a traditional kimono and carrying a baby on her back, a paper parasol...

Harry Humphrey Moore led a cosmopolitan lifestyle, dividing his time between Europe, New York City, and California. This globe-trotting painter was also active in Morocco, and most importantly, he was among the first generation of American artists to live and work in Japan, where he depicted temples, tombs, gardens, merchants, children, and Geisha girls. Praised by fellow painters such as Thomas Eakins, John Singer Sargent, and Jean-Léon Gérôme, Moore’s fame was attributed to his exotic subject matter, as well as to the “brilliant coloring, delicate brush work [sic] and the always present depth of feeling” that characterized his work (Eugene A. Hajdel, Harry H. Moore, American 19th Century: Collection of Information on Harry Humphrey Moore, 19th Century Artist, Based on His Scrap Book and Other Data [Jersey City, New Jersey: privately published, 1950], p. 8). Born in New York City, Moore was the son of Captain George Humphrey, an affluent shipbuilder, and a descendant of the English painter, Ozias Humphrey (1742–1810). He became deaf at age three, and later went to special schools where he learned lip-reading and sign language. After developing an interest in art as a young boy, Moore studied painting with the portraitist Samuel Waugh in Philadelphia, where he met and became friendly with Eakins. He also received instruction from the painter Louis Bail in New Haven, Connecticut. In 1864, Moore attended classes at the Mark Hopkins Institute in San Francisco, and until 1907, he would visit the “City by the Bay” regularly. In 1865, Moore went to Europe, spending time in Munich before traveling to Paris, where, in October 1866, he resumed his formal training in Gérôme’s atelier, drawing inspiration from his teacher’s emphasis on authentic detail and his taste for picturesque genre subjects. There, Moore worked alongside Eakins, who had mastered sign language in order to communicate with his friend. In March 1867, Moore enrolled at the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts, honing his drawing skills under the tutelage of Adolphe...

Medium: Oil on Canvas Signature: Signed Lower Right

Medium: Gouache Signature: Signed Lower Right a slave with shackles on the ground behind him appealing to Abraham Lincoln with the Civil War battle s...

Date: 1880 Medium: Oil on Board Dimensions: 18.20" x 24.00" Signature: Signed Lower Right

ADDISON THOMAS MILLAR American, 1850-1913 The Sword Merchant Signed Addison T Millar Oil on board 10 in x 8 in Framed: 18 in x 10 in

Medium: Gouache and Pencil on Board Signature: Signed Lower Left Carter's Monthly, February 1898, cover illustration. Newly Framed.

This fine mid-19th-century Dutch oil painting depicts a gentle view with a windmill, inn, horseback rider and figures. As the sun sets, illuminating the sky with a golden glow, a we...

The short signature lower left a monogram of joined Cyrillic letters "V" and "P" with date 77, leads to the Russian painter Vasily Dmitrievich Polenov (1844 - 1927). Here we have pl...

‘Diana Nemorensis’ by Max Nonnenbruch (1857-1922). The painting – which depicts the Goddess Diana of the Woods beside Lake Nemi – is signed by the artist and presented in a fine gol...

This spellbinding late 19th-century oil painting by Scottish artist Robert Walker Macbeth RA ROI RWS (1848-1910) depicts a young woman wearing a white pelerine and a jacket trimmed w...

Original Miniature 19th Century Austrian Pastoral Figurative Oil Painting on Wood Painted in the manner of late Romanticism, this charming miniature pastoral landscape by Edmund Fri...

Signed figures in riverscape oil on original canvas circa 1895 by French post impressionist painter Albert Charles Lebourg. The work depicts a v...

This late 19th-century oil painting by British artist Francis Sydney Muschamp RBA (1851-1929) depicts a mediaeval couple playing chess within a historic interior, perhaps a castle. M...

The White Scarf (Self Portrait of the Artist) Oil on board, 1894 Signed and dated lower left: E M Heller '94 (see image) Framed in a metal leaf Whistler style frame, Frame: 23 x 18-...

Signed figures in landscape pastel on canvas circa 1885 by French Barbizon painter Leon Augustin Lhermitte. The piece depicts two children resting beside a large haystack in farmland...

Robert Lewis Reid Woman in a Forest Glade Oil on canvas 36 x 27 inches Provenance: Petersen Galleries, Beverly Hills, California Hirschl & Adler Gal...

Charles HERMANN-LÉON (born Léon Charles Sigismond HEMRMANN) (Le Havre 1838 - Paris 1908) Portrait of a young woman Oil on canvas H. 54 cm; L. 41 cm Signed and dated upper right - 187...

Gorgeous 19th Century figurative landscape of a woman by a lake looking wistfully at boaters by J. Glover (American, 19th Century), c.1870's. Signed lower left "J. Glover." Unframed....

The Studio Model French Impressionist artist, circa 1890's oil on canvas: 27.5 x 16.5 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: very good and sound condition

Venetian painter (late 19th century) - Venice, view of the Riva degli Schiavoni with carnival masks. 30 x 40 cm without frame, 46 x 53 cm with frame. Oil on panel, in a carved and ...

This late 19th-century oil painting by British artist Edwin Hughes (1842-1922) depicts a blacksmith holding a horseshoe while conversing with a gentleman through a window. His assist...

French impressionist landscape, Barbizon forest, with river and cows at Sunset Boyle was a pioneering 19th-century British artist inspired by European Impressionist painters. The i...

Late 19th early 20th century marked a period of great artistic expression and innovation, particularly in the realm of painting. During this time, artists sought to capture the beaut...

Signed impressionist oil on canvas figure and animals in landscape by French painter Julien Dupre. The work depicts a shepherdess resting on a log as her sheep graze in the green mea...

Antique French landscape oil painting/figurative oil painting of a woman at the edge of the water by Pierre Garnier, signed in the bottom left...

Fausto GIUSTO (Naples, 1867 – Zurich, 1941) Avenue du Bois de Boulogne in Paris Oil on canvas Signed lower right 28 x 46 cm Fausto Giusto is an Italian painter who has built an in...

Venetian painter (c. 1880) - View of the Grand Canal with the Rialto Bridge in Venice. 50 x 70 cm without frame, 58 x 78 cm with frame. Oil on canvas, in a wooden frame. Work sign...

Oil on panel attributed to Eugen Boudin representing a Norman navy

19th century Dutch / European oil on mahogany panel, landscape with a man out walking his dog. Wonderful painting, circa 1870, painted on one sheet...

This late 19th-century Mexican oil painting depicts the Christ child as ‘El Nino de Atocha’. El Nino de Atocha is a popular subject of Mexican retablo art and its roots can be trace...

Antique 19th century English fishing vessels In the English Channel William Henry Williamson was a gifted, London painter of coastal scenes, ...

The signature at the bottom right with the date and ink inscriptions on the stretcher lead us to the Norwegian painter Henrik Asor Hansen (1862 - 1929). In the center of the scene is...

Bernard Hemy - Bernard Benedict Hemy (1844 - 1910). Marine and Coastal painter in oil and watercolor. Born in Newcastle to Henry F. Hemy, brother...

Jean-Baptiste-Arthur CALAME (Geneva, 1843 - Geneva, 1919) Mediterranean shore, probably the Amalfi coast Oil on canvas mounted on cardboard H. 24 cm; L. 33 cm Signed lower right Circ...

Alexandre DEFAUX (1826, Bercy - 1900, Melun) Yport, la falaise d'Amont Oil on panel 59.5 x 38.5 cm Signed and located lower right Pupil of Corot, Alexandre Defaux is a fairly famous...

Jean-Baptiste-Arthur CALAME (Geneva, 1843 - Geneva, 1919) Mediterranean shore, probably the Côte d'Azur Oil on canvas mounted on cardboard H. 24 cm; L. 30 cm Signed lower right Circa...

Alfred DEHODENCQ (Paris 1822 - Paris 1882) Portrait of Alexandre Blanchard, teacher at the Amiens high school (1851-?) Pastel on paper mounted on canvas H. 50 cm; L. 44 cm Signed and...

Maximilien Luce (Fr. 1858 - 1941) Farm Scene Painting Maximilien Luce incorporates ink, crayon, and watercolor to create a large impressionistic and multifaceted social statement of...

Set of four Orientalist landscape paintings by van Wijk Dutch, 1879 Canvas: Height 35cm, width 65cm Largest frame: Height 41cm, width 71cm, depth 4cm Smallest frame: Height 39.5cm,...

Italian painter (19th century) - Memento Mori. 43 x 67 cm without frame, 48.5 x 72.5 cm with frame. Antique oil painting on wood, in a wooden frame. Condition report: Original can...

Portrait of Robert Duflos de Saint-Amand (1812-1894), Consul of France Oil on canvas H. 91 cm; W. 72 cm From a family of the Parisian bourgeoisie, Robert Duflos de Saint-Amand was ...

Pauline VALLÉE (Lyon, 19th century - ?) Floral composition with chinoiseries Oil on canvas Signed and dated lower right 61 x 50 cm 1888 We know little about the life of this woman...

As we gaze upon this artwork, we are immediately struck by the warmth and tenderness exuding from the scene. The woman, with a gentle smile on her face, carefully feeds the pet calf,...

Antoine VOLLON (Lyon, 1833 – Paris, 1900) Gray partridge hunting trophy Oil on canvas Signed and dated indistinctly lower left 35 x 25 cm A student of the engraver CHARASSE then o...

Fine late 19th C oil painting on cradled wood panel by George Washington Nicholson. The painting is in very good cleaned condition and shows Surfmen rescuing a ship in distress. This...

A very engaging portrait of a pretty young girl holding a posy of flowers. On a large scale, this impressive piece would add grandeur to a hall or drawing room. William Edwards Mill...

Johann Ludwig Robert von Steiger (Swiss, * 8th of January, 1856, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; † 1st of June, 1941, Buenos Aires, Argentina) Portrait of Karl Alfred Arthur von Steiger Lie...

Antonio Maria Fabrés y Costa (Barcelona 1854 - Rome 1938), In the Restaurant (1880) Oil painting on panel 14 x 21 cm signed and dated on the right.

Unsigned, but it is attributed to Thomas Miles Richardson Jr., R.W.S. (1813 - 1890), since the similar work was sold through Christies in 1998 (same size with signature and date 1861...

Work on canvas

Brass plate leads to Russian artist Pavel Pavlovich Dzhogin (1834 - 1885). This 19th century oil painting beautifully captures a serene rural scene with travelers on a cart traveling...