19th Century Figurative Paintings

Signed impressionist riverscape oil on panel dated 1863 by sought after French painter Paul Camille Guigou. The piece depicts a view of the river i...

Woman, Liberty, Inside, Eclecticism, Romanticism, Impressionism, Work of artistic interest abiut 130 years old, it will take about 30 days for export permits Ernest Jean Joseph GODFRINON (1878/1926 ) Belgian Impressionist Born at Elsene in Belgium in 1878, Godfrinon studied at the Academies of Ixelles and Brussels, and was primarily regarded as painter of landscapes, still lifes and intimate genre scenes. He exhibited one of his paintings ‘Begonias’ at the Galerie des Tout-Petits over the winter of 1925 – but aside from this specific detail little is known of his exhibition career. Godfrinon was a member of ‘Le Sillon’ group and his work has subsequently found its way into the collection of the museum of Sint-Joost-ten-Node in Charlier in Belgium – the painting is titled ‘La Serre...

'La Feria' a very busy figurative middle eastern market scene with various characters. Jewellery seller, women, children and animals. John Haynes-William...

Claus Meyer was a German painter active during the turn of the 20th century. He is best known for his warm depictions of everyday life from the Medieval and Northern Renaissances per...

For Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Impressionism's pre-eminent figure painter, depicting the nude was an exercise in bringing the canvas to life. He once said, “I look at a nude, I see myriads of minuscule shades. I have to find those which will make the flesh on my canvas come to life and resonate.” This compelling portrait by Renoir entitled Après le bain presents the nude figure of a woman in a serene, private moment, absorbed in the task of drying herself after a bath. The artist’s mastery of light and shading is incredible, achieving a sense of vitality in this otherwise ordinary scene. Renoir is celebrated for his figural work, especially his Rubenesque female nudes, however, it was not until the artist was in his forties that he depicted the nude with any frequency. In 1881, Renoir traveled to Italy, where he studied the works of the Renaissance masters and the ancient art of Pompeii and Rome. Upon his return to France, the nude became his favored subject, and he used the motif to combine the spontaneity of Impressionism with the solid modeling of classical painting. Renoir’s medium here, sanguine, a reddish-brown chalk, was used extensively in the Renaissance by Leonardo (who employed it in his sketches for the Last Supper), Michelangelo and Raphael. Its warm hue lends itself well to depicting flesh, and the chalk drawing allows for a greater focus on line, form and texture in a departure from the aspects of color and light that so often preoccupied the Impressionists. Après le bain conveys the impression of arrested motion with perfect naturalness, deftly capturing the moment before the elegant lines of the sitter's form change position. The sitter is almost certainly Gabrielle Renard, the nanny to Renoir’s children and a frequent model for the artist. Gabrielle was the cousin of Renoir’s wife, Aline, and came to Montmartre to work for the family at the age of 16. She developed a strong bond with the family and became a favorite subject for Renoir, appearing in several of his most important works, including his 1911 Gabrielle with a Rose (Musée d'Orsay). When Renoir began to suffer from severe rheumatoid arthritis that would eventually leave him unable to walk and scarcely able to grasp a paintbrush, it was Gabrielle that would assist the artist by positioning the paintbrush between his crippled fingers. Born in Limoges, France in 1841, Renoir began his career as an apprentice to a painter of porcelain wares. He later moved to Paris at the age of 21, enrolling at the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts. It was here, while studying under Charles Gleyre, that Renoir attained a tremendous appreciation for the academic style of painting, a quality that would last throughout his career. This was also when he met Claude Monet and several other classmates, with whom he would later form the Impressionists. Working closely with Monet, Renoir began experimenting with the portrayal of light and its effect on his canvases. The youngest member of the Impressionist movement, an astute Renoir recognized how a subject was constantly changing due to the dynamic effects of light on color. Relying heavily upon his academic training that focused on composition, lines and descriptive details, Renoir distinguished himself among his contemporaries. His intuitive use of color and expansive brushstroke, along with acute attention to his subject, have placed him among the finest painters in history. This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and will be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné of the work of Pierre-Auguste Renoir from the Wildenstein Plattner Institute. Circa 1898 Canvas: 43 1/2" high x 35 1/2" wide Frame: 57 3/4" high x 49 1/4" wide Provenance: Galerie Durand-Ruel, Paris (acquired from the artist on January 25, 1899) J. Pereire Collection, France (1966) Sam Salz, New York (before 1981) Claus Virch, Paris French Compagny, Inc., New York Larry Silverstein, New York (circa January 1987) Le Clos de Sierne Gallery, Geneva Galerie Heyram, Paris (October 1987) Francis Gross M.S. Rau, New Orleans Literature: B. Schneider, Renoir, Berlin, 1957, p. 95 (illustrated in color, p. 83) M. Gauthier, Renoir, Paris, 1958, p. 83 (illustrated in color; erroneously dated '1916' and titled 'Woman in her toilet') F. Fosca, Renoir, L'homme et son obra, Paris, 1961, p. 280 (illustrated, p. 95; erroneously dated 'about 1890' and titled 'After the Bath...

A late 19th Century French Impressionist landscape by Albert Lebourg. Signed bottom right. In gilt frame. Albert Lebourg (French, 1849–1928) was an Impressionist and landscape paint...

Georges Jean Marie Haquette "Fishermans Daughter" Original Oil Painting 19th C. W/Matching Engraving Original oil on wooden panel Dimensions 8.5" wide x 10.25" high The frame meas...

Artist/ School: French School, late 19th century, indistinctly monogrammed upper left corner. Title: Portrait of a Bearded Man Medium: oil painting on canvas laid to board, unframe...

'The Harvest' is a stunning pastoral scene by Victor Gabriel Gilbert. Victor Gabriel Gilbert was born in Paris, 13th February 1847. He studied for a perio...

'Marchande de Fleurs' a Parisian street scene with soldier, figures & beautiful flower-cart Gabriel Gilbert was renowned for his paintings of Parisian market scenes, of which this is a fantastic example. Gilbert’s works sit alongside Monet’s and Van Gogh’s in galleries and collections across the world. He established himself as a painter of French genre scenes...

A lush verdant painting of three nude bathers in a French river. It speaks of summer days spent wild swimming, picnics filled with cheese & wine and hear...

Wilfrid Constant Beauquesne (1847 - 1913) "Franco-Prussian Battle Scene" c. 1900 Oil on Canvas Signed Lower Right Site Size: approx 22 x 28 inches Framed Size: approx 35 x 40 inches French artistry was deeply influenced by three wars during the 19th century and, accordingly, the artistic imagination was not lost upon the public. "Patriotism comes to the aid of battle painters," a contemporary remarked, "presenting them with a sympathetic public already fascinated by the subject." After the brief Franco-Prussian conflict of 1870, French painters were particularly anxious to retrieve national pride by presenting works which reflected their own national heroism versus enemy brutality. Known for his scenic depictions of this war, Wilfried Beauquesne, a native of Rennes, France, was undoubtedly influenced in his selection of subjects by his instructors at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. Vernet-Lecomte and Horace Vernet were both well known military artists. Vernet had actually lived and worked during the period of Napoleonic conflicts - being awarded the Legion of Honor by the Emperor's own hand. Beauquesne exhibited regularly at the annual Paris Salon between 1887 and 1899, as well as throughout Europe. In 1890, illustrating the fortunes of life, The Art Amateur ran the following item in its "Gossip Column:" "A queer story comes to me from Paris. A commission agent made a bargain with a poor painter, living out at Saint-Maude, to paint military subjects for him, at two francs an hour. The agent changed the signature to that of Gaubault, and sold the pictures to various dealers. On day, by chance, the poor painter came to Paris, went to the Salon, and was astonished to see one of his pictures there. He look at the catalogue, and found the name of the artist and the address of the dealer where he was to be found, The poor artist went to the dealer and introduced himself saying, "I am Gaubault." "Most happy to make your acquaintance," replied the dealer. "Your pictures sell very well, and I have been wanting to see you for the last six years." "But my name is not Gaubault, it is Beauquesne." Explanations followed. The dishonest commission agent disappeared; and Beauquesne restored his real signature on the pictures, which had made his pseudonym almost famous...