Georges Picard

Fairies

c. 1921

Signed and titled oil on board nude circa 1905 by Belgian neo-impressionist painter Georges Lemmen. The work titled 'Reverie' depicts a red-haired lady who is kneeling down and resting her head on her arm. Signature: Signed lower right and titled on original artist's label verso Dimensions: Framed: 16"x19" Unframed: 10"x13" Provenance: Original artists label verso for Georges Lemmen at 96 Avenue Coghen , Brussels Private collection - Brussels Georges Lemmen was the son of an architect and studied under Amédée Bourson at the academy in St Joost-ten-Node. He was invited in 1889 to join the Group of Twenty ( Cercle des XX) which had been launched in 1884 by Oscar Maus and had in the interim emerged as an influential force in Belgian artistic circles, not least by bringing to public and critical attention the work of such artists as Georges Seurat and Paul Signac. The Cercle des XX would be reborn in 1894 as La Libre Esthétique. In the early days of the Cercle des XX, Lemmen espoused a pointilliste technique. His earlier painting was clearly influenced by the Neo-Impressionists; over time, however, his style became more subtle and nuanced - recalling, perhaps, that of his compatriot Van Rysselberghe, another Cercle des XX member. With the group's rebirth as the Libre Esthétique, Lemmen's work became more intimiste in character, most notably in his portraits, nudes and still-lifes, where the influence of Bonnard and Vuillard is unmistakable, as is that of Renoir, particularly after Lemmen's travels in the Midi in 1911. From this point onwards, he would go on to make a major contribution to the renewal of the graphic and decorative arts in terms of his input to the new 'free' aesthetic and to Art Nouveau. Although his draughtsmanship retained its essential purity and elegance of line, his painting became more fleshy, imprecise and sensual, his compositions governed less by technical considerations than by the urgent need to express his emotions. Between 1889 and 1893, Lemmen exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants in Paris, aligning himself with the Neo-Impressionists. In 1893, Henry van de Velde invited him to participate in the Pour l'Art association that had been created in Antwerp. He travelled to the south of France in 1911. By this juncture, he had already exhibited solo on two occasions (in 1906 and 1908) at the Galerie Druet in Paris. A further solo exhibition in 1913, his first in Brussels, cemented Lemmen's reputation. Museum and Gallery Holdings: Bremen (Kunsthalle): Standing Nude Combing her Hair Brussels (Mus. royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique): Children's Room (watercolour); Reading; Couture; Young Girl by the Sea...

Signed nude oil on original canvas circa 1910 by French post impressionist painter Georges D'espagnat. The work depict a nude woman seated on a stall turned away from the artist. Paintings hang on the wall and there's a vase filled with pink and red flowers on the wooden mantlepiece beside her. Signature: Signed upper left Dimensions: Framed: 30"x26" Unframed: 22"x18" Provenance: Private French collection. Exhibition stamp verso From the beginning of his career, it was a constant concern of Georges d'Espagnet to assert his originality. His studies at the École des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, did not last very long, for he wanted immediate independence and decided to follow courses in the private academies of Montparnasse. In about 1900, he became acquainted with Maurice Denis, Bonnard and Vuillard, and his collaboration with Denis led to a renewal of religious art in France. In 1903, d'Espagnet was one of the founders of the Salon d'Automne, and was appointed professor in charge of studios at the École des Beaux-Arts, Paris, in 1934. He illustrated a number of books: Rémy de Gourmont's Evil Prayers ( Oraisons mauvaises) (1896), The Saints of Paradise ( Les Saintes du paradis) (1898), Simone (1907), Sistine ( Sixtine) (1922); Alphonse Daudet's The Immortal ( L'Immortel) (1930); André Gide's The Pastoral Symphony ( La Symphonie pastorale); Francis Jammes' Clearings in the Sky ( Chairières dans le ciel) (1948). D'Espagnet belongs to the group of artists who made the Courrier Français so successful. The drawings of his which are published in it are strongly expressive and some bear comparison with the designs of the great Renaissance masters. He also contributed to L'Image. He often placed cheerful nudes in a landscape, reminding us that, though he moved away from the Fauves, he retained their freedom of colour and arabesque. He painted many portraits, including those of Albert André, André Barbier...

Nude 1960s. Oil on canvas. 60x73 cm "Nude" is a captivating and elegant artwork that celebrates the female form in a tasteful and artistic manner. Through skillful brushwork, the artist aims to convey the woman's beauty and allure, inviting viewers to appreciate the timeless fascination and artistic exploration of the nude human figure. Aleksandra Belcova...

"A woman becomes a goddess when she explores and accepts her femininity."