Emanuel Leutze

Return Of Columbus In Chains To Cadiz By Emanuel Leutze

Circa 1842

This painting by Jean-Léon Gérôme entitled La Danse pyrrhique is among the most fascinating compositions ever composed by the Academic master’s hand. Gérôme’s iconic scenes of the East captivated a generation, and this work showcases all of the artist’s unparalleled talents. Set in the Ptolemaic period of Ancient Egypt, its depiction of the ritual Pyrrhic dance is vivid and striking. Beautifully painted and rich with detail, it represents the best of Gérôme’s famed Orientalist scenes. In La Danse pyrrhique, Gérôme gives us a dramatic rendering of this ancient war dance. Greek in origin, it was performed by costumed dancers armed with swords who completed a series of movements set to music pantomiming combat. Homer wrote that Achilles performed this dance in a show of respect and grief at the funeral of his friend, Patroclus. When Julius Caesar introduced it to the Roman Games, its popularity spread across the Roman Empire to include Egypt, where Gérôme’s composition is set. Gérôme visited Egypt for the first time in 1856, and he returned throughout the late 19th century when this work was created. Gérôme’s first-hand familiarity with this setting is evident in this piece, and his visual narrative is unlike any other. His paintings combine the rationalist style of historical paintings and the theatrical...

Angelo Zoffoli 1860-1910 Italian Cardinal with Elegant Company Signed "A. Zoffoli Roma" (lower right) Oil on canvas A sumptuously dressed cardinal enjoys the company of a fabulou...

Victor Marais-Milton 1872-1948 French Cardinals Playing Cards Signed "V. Marais-Milton" (lower right) Oil on canvas Two red-robed cardinals engage in a friendly game of cards in ...

Eugen von Blaas Italian I 1843-1932 No Love Without Envy Signed and dated "Eugen von Blaas 1901" (lower right) Oil on canvas Eugen von Blaas masterfully captured the spirit and charm of Venice, and No Love Without Envy stands as one of his most exceptional compositions. Larger and more finely detailed than many of his works, this grand painting reflects his unparalleled mastery of light, color and narrative. Rich in detail and emotion, this scene is believed to feature a stylized self-portrait of the artist alongside his wife, Paola Prina. Set in a sun-drenched Venetian courtyard, the composition brims with life and intrigue. At its center, an orange seller—modeled by Prina—engages in a flirtatious exchange with an admirer, the artist himself, while three onlookers observe with amusement and envy. The interplay of light and texture is remarkable: von Blaas' exquisite brushwork renders the delicate lace, sumptuous fabrics and intricately adorned garments with near-photographic precision, while the soft flesh tones contrast beautifully against the timeworn stonework of Venice. This attention to detail, combined with the work’s luminous palette, creates a sense of immediacy and warmth that defines the best of von Blaas' Venetian genre paintings. Born in 1843 to Austrian parents in Italy, von Blaas was raised in a household steeped in artistic tradition. His father, Karl Blaas, was a renowned portraitist and history painter, while his brother specialized in military scenes. When Karl was appointed professor at the Venice Academy of Fine Arts, the family relocated to the floating city—a move that profoundly shaped von Blaas’ artistic vision. Though he studied in Rome, Vienna and Paris, it was Venice that remained his greatest muse. Captivated by its light, architecture and everyday moments of romance and social interplay, he became the foremost painter of Venetian genre scenes. During Venice’s Austrian rule, von Blaas adopted the Italianized name “Eugene de Blaas...

Late 19th century California School reclining nude female figure by anonymous 19th Century artist. In the style of William-Adolphe Bouguereau. ...

Margaret Dovaston (1884–1955) After Dinner, Rest Awhile Oil on Canvas Signed M Dovaston (lower right) 46 x 61 cms / 18 x 24 inches This finely detailed scene by British artist Marga...

George Henry Smillie Cathedral Rocks, Yosemite Valley, 1871 Signed and inscribed board verso "Cathedral Rocks-Morning-Yo-semite Valley Aug. 71 Geo. H. Smillie", also inscribed "Yo-se...

Painting based on the Peplos scene (Block V, eastern Parthenon frieze, ca. 447-433 BC) by the Danish painter Sophie Holten (1858 Skuldelev - 1930 Rosk...