Léon François Comerre

L'odalisque à l'éventail (The Odalisque with the Fan)

Late 19th Century

John William Godward 1861-1922 British A Pompeian Lady Signed and dated "J.W. Godward 1904" (lower right, partially covered by frame) Oil on canvas One of the last and greatest Victorian neoclassical painters, John William Godward is celebrated for his flawlessly executed images of graceful women posed in idealized ancient settings. In this work, entitled A Pompeian Lady, a classical beauty is caught idling in a moment of quiet, solitary reflection. Godward's elegant subjects are depicted with a degree of technical mastery that remains unsurpassed, and the work's dramatic palette, luxurious fabrics and classical vision are all characteristics of his unique take on the neoclassical style. Godward was unmatched in terms of his technical skill and attention to detail. A master of contrasting textures, he paints a diaphanous gown draping against the model’s smooth, milky white skin, which sits against the painstakingly rendered individual hairs of a tiger’s pel. Scintillating color permeates the canvas as well, energizing the otherwise static scene. Each element is given careful attention, and the overall effect is one of both immaculate technique and sensual tactility. Along with his contemporary and mentor, Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Godward set the tone for the Victorian neoclassicist movement. He built his career upon creating images of idealized feminine beauty infused with a Greco-Roman-inspired style. Though greatly influenced by Alma-Tadema, Godward distinguished himself through his predilection for the solitary female figure. His fame rose dramatically in the first few years of the 20th century, when the present work was completed, due to the burgeoning strength of the British Empire and the Victorian society’s preoccupation with ancient Rome. To many of the newly affluent, Roman society was, as Iain Gale writes, “a flawless mirror of their own immaculate world.” The sensuality and mystery of Godward’s maidens, combined with his impressive antique backdrops...

Young girl from Tetouan, Morocco Signed (center right) Oil on canvas In this important oil on canvas, French Orientalist painter Charles Landelle captures the engaging visage of a young Moroccan woman in a moment of tranquil contemplation. Seated on the floor of what is almost certainly an opulent riad, the young woman wears an intricately embroidered Moroccan kaftan and headdress. The sumptuous patterns on the floor and in the background lend an additional warmth to the strikingly vivid red hues which dominate the composition and are a hallmark of Landelle’s work. The symbols behind the young woman may represent either the Jewish Star of David or the Islamic Seal...

Hubert Ritzenhofen 1879-1961 German Egg Tapping on Easter Sunday Signed and dated "H. Ritzenhofen 05" (lower right) Oil on canvas This grand domestic tableau was painted by estee...

Sassoferrato (Giovanni Battista Salvi) 1609-1685 Italian Madonna Addolorata Oil on canvas Celebrated Italian artist Sassoferrato and his moving religious imagery are the epitome ...

Joseph Christian Leyendecker 1874-1951 | American The Sleuth Saturday Evening Post Cover, June 2, 1906 Signed "JCLeyendecker" (lower left) Oil on canvas A debonair sleuth peers t...

A Salvation Army Santa looks on with a mixture of fatigue and disinterest as a group of children tell him their Christmas gift wish lists in this lighthearted composition by leading American illustrator Leslie Thrasher. This painting was created for the December 20, 1930 issue of Liberty Magazine, for which the artist illustrated covers on a weekly basis for six consecutive years. Thrasher is known for his scenes of everyday American life imbued with a sense of humor, qualities represented to great effect in this charming painting. Born in 1889 in Piedmont, West Virginia, Thrasher studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts as a teenager and received a scholarship to study art abroad in Paris. Upon his return, he began studying under Howard Pyle, known as the “father of American illustration.” Thrasher sold his first cover illustration to the Saturday Evening Post in 1912, four years before Norman Rockwell’s first Post cover, and he would go on to produce over 360 magazine covers throughout his career. He painted humorous, relatable scenes of everyday life in America with colorful characters set against white backgrounds. He was also a successful commercial artist, painting advertisements for Cream of Wheat, Chesterfield Cigarettes...

Girl with Teddy bear / Tender innocence This is one of my favorite artworks painted from nature. Painting are on stretched canvas come ready to hang. This is the “hidden frame”...

Academic style figurative portrait painting of a handsome young man against a grey background "Gio Taking Off His Singlet", By Mark Beard as Bruce Sargeant (pseudonym in homage to the fashion photographer, Bruce Weber, and figurative painter, John Singer Sargent) 14 x 11 inches 18.5 x 15.5 inches framed Excellent condition Signed by the artist, upper left "B. Sargeant" This vertical, portrait painting of a young man was made by Mark Beard under his fictitious artistic persona, Bruce Sargeant. Painted in a modern Academic style, the handsome man is posed stoically against a pale grey background as he gingerly removes his wrestling singlet...

Beautiful oil on canvas from the end of the 19th century figuring the portrait of a young woman. The painting is signed Y Pol on the bottom left . The artist in his performance perfe...

You Got to be a Football Hero to Get Along with a Beautiful Girl. Masterfully composed and dynamic illustration that show a player getting punched in the jaw. During this period, there were no face...

Leon Kroll was above all an academician. To him "abstract art was merely the beginning of a picture. Structurally, "Portrait of a Young Woman recalls some of the portraits from the ...

The art world today does not value traditional academic skills in portrait painting. If it did, this portrait would replace the childlike student-level art that is now achieving two...