William Wallace Gilchrist

The Morning News Early 19th-century Realism: Antique Oil Painting on Wood Panel

Circa 1910

"Taking Tea" by Jan-Baptist Huysmans, an accomplished Orientalist painter of the 19th century, unveils a captivating world in his oil painting on panel. Born in 1826, Huysmans was re...

The painting is signed and dated 1872 in Algiers Description: Ferdinand Victor Léon Roybet (1840-1920) was a French painter renowned for...

“Mom and Her Kids,” an exquisite oil painting on canvas by Gaetano Chierici, also known as La Maschera, captures a timeless domestic scene with remarkable attention to detail and emo...

The painting is signed. Description: George Henry Boughton: A Master of Narrative and Natural Beauty George Henry Boughton, a distinguished Anglo-American artist of the 19th centur...

Impressive early American interior scene oil painting. Framed. Oil on canvas. Image size, 20H by 16L.

Framed oil on canvas representing two women in a couch. The right one is dressed in sweet pink and comfortably sat on wide pillows, a open book on her knees. Her friend is holding a ...

This 19th-century oil on mahogany board titled 'The Cut Finger' by William Hemsley, R.B.A., depicts a familial pairing in a cottage home. The girl tends to the eponymous cut with a white cloth pressed on the boy's finger. A dim light is cast from the window to the left, illuminating a cut loaf of bread, a knife, and simple stoneware to set the scene. The girl sits in a wooden chair wearing a salmon-colored blouse, while the young boy is dressed in a golden overshirt. William Hemsley, R.B.A., (1819-1906) was a prolific draughtsman and painter of genre scenes depicting English provincial life. Hemsley’s scenes of everyday reality, which were usually painted on a small scale, follow the gentle tradition of Webster and F. D. Hardy. He was, like them, fond of painting children at play. Many of his works depicted rustic domestic scenes, leading to him being described as "pre-eminently the painter of cottage life". He was also a member of the Society of British Artists. He exhibited frequently in London, particularly at the Royal Academy and the Suffolk Street Gallery. This gentle painting faithfully represents a moment between two people caring for one another. Hemsley painted in a style reminiscent of earlier golden-age Dutch genre painting, using light and color in a vibrant but elegant manner—signature on the lower left-hand corner. In the 19th century, it was common to paint on wood due to its durability, smooth surface, and long-standing tradition. Wood panels were preferred for their sturdiness and versatility, suitable for detailed artworks and various shapes and sizes. While wood was popular, especially for smaller works, canvas started gaining popularity later in the century for its lighter weight and ease of use. This rustic genre scene resides in an ornate Louis XIV Régence style convex frame with foliate shell cartouche corners, strap work, and c-scrolls on a cross-hatched ground with white pigment dispersed throughout. In the early 18th century the Louis XIV styles blended into the Régence frame style (c.1715-1723) which placed greater emphasis on the corners and centers. The full Regency style was both opulent and delicate, with the order and linearity of this period giving way to the swirling delicacy of the Rococo. This painting would be a wonderful addition to a home office, entryway, or library...

This painting is the work of American artist Henry Bacon (1839-191), who painted French genre portraits as a member of the Pont Aven School. He was a peer of Paul Gauguin.