Skip to main content

'Moonlight on the Sea' by Alfred Stevens ( Brussels 1823 – 1906 Paris )

'Moonlight on the Sea' by Alfred Stevens ( Brussels 1823 – 1906 Paris )

View Similar Items

Kristy Simmons - Nocturnal Garden Landscape -- West Side Cottage

Nocturnal Garden Landscape -- West Side Cottage

Judith Fields - Dynamic Clouds and Fields - Alabama Landscape

Dynamic Clouds and Fields - Alabama Landscape

Virginia Francesca Fry - Vintage Carmel Mission Landscape with Flowers

Vintage Carmel Mission Landscape with Flowers

Ralph Edward Joosten - California Nature Landscape -- Springtime by the River

California Nature Landscape -- Springtime by the River

Adelaide Elizabeth Doman Crocker - Late 19th Century Nocturnal Landscape -- Countryside at Night

Late 19th Century Nocturnal Landscape -- Countryside at Night

Unknown - Mid Century Reflecting Mountains Norwegian Landscape

Mid Century Reflecting Mountains Norwegian Landscape

Eric Hesketh Hubbard - Friars Craig, Keswick Landscape

Friars Craig, Keswick Landscape

Helen Enoch Gleiforst - Mid Century Far Off Mountains Landscape

Mid Century Far Off Mountains Landscape

Mildred Vejtasa Fenner - Mid-Century Mountain Stream Landscape

Mid-Century Mountain Stream Landscape

Karl Albert Ufer - Mid Century Mountain Reflections Landscape

Mid Century Mountain Reflections Landscape

Laura Mahan - Mokelumne Hill, California Landscape

Mokelumne Hill, California Landscape

H. Milton Snyder - Afternoon Swim, Mid Century Figurative Landscape

Afternoon Swim, Mid Century Figurative Landscape

Video Loading

Want more images or videos?

Request additional images or videos from the seller

1 of 19

Alfred Stevens
'Moonlight on the Sea' by Alfred Stevens ( Brussels 1823 – 1906 Paris )
1892

About the Item

Alfred Stevens Brussels 1823 – 1906 Paris Belgian Painter 'Moonlight on the Sea' Signature: signed lower right and dated 1892 ‘A Stevens 92' Medium: oil on canvas Dimensions: image size 81 x 65 cm, frame size 97,5 x 81,5 cm Provenance: Collection M. Klein, 1900 Galerie Petit, Paris, 18 June 1926, no. 22 Private collection, Europe De Vuyst, Belgium, 1998 Galerie Kupperman, Amsterdam Private collection, The Netherlands Exhibitions: Exposition of the Works of Alfred Stevens, Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, 1928 Retrospective Alfred Stevens, École des Beaux-Arts, Paris, 1900, no. 100 Literature: A. Stevens, Mercatorfonds, Brussels, p. 100 Alfred Stevens, François Boucher, Ed. Rieder, Paris, 1930, illustrated on p. 36 Documentation by Mrs. Christiane Lefebvre, 1998 Biography: Alfred Émile Léopold Stevens (11 May 1823 – 24 August 1906) was a prominent Belgian painter renowned for his depictions of elegant modern women. His works, characterized by a realistic style and meticulous attention to detail, reveal the influence of 17th-century Dutch genre painting. While he initially gained attention for his social realist portrayal of the hardships faced by impoverished vagrants, he later achieved great critical and popular success with his portrayals of upper-middle class Parisian life. Notably, he often used the same models repeatedly, with some of them being identified in the infamous Book of the Courtesans, a confidential surveillance file maintained by the Paris vice squad, as noted by author Summer Brennan. Stevens was born in Brussels, into a family deeply connected with the visual arts. His older brother Joseph (1816–1892) and his son Léopold (1866–1935) were both painters, while his other brother Arthur (1825–1899) was an art dealer and critic. His father, a veteran of the Napoleonic wars under the army of William I of the Netherlands, was an art collector with a notable collection of watercolors by Eugène Delacroix and other esteemed artists. Stevens’s upbringing was influenced by the environment of Café de l’Amitié, run by his maternal grandparents in Brussels, which served as a meeting place for prominent figures from the political, literary, and artistic spheres. Following the death of his father in 1837, Stevens left middle school to enroll at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels. There, he came under the tutelage of François Navez, a Neo-Classical painter and former student of Jacques-Louis David, who was both the director of the academy and an old acquaintance of Stevens’s grandfather. Following a traditional curriculum, he initially drew from casts of classical sculptures and later transitioned to drawing from live models. In 1843, Stevens journeyed to Paris to join his already established brother, Joseph. He gained admission to the École des Beaux-Arts, the preeminent art school in Paris, although claims of him being a student of the director, Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, are likely unfounded. One of his early works, The Pardon or Absolution (Hermitage, St. Petersburg), signed and dated 1849, showcased his mastery of a conventional naturalistic style influenced by 17th-century Dutch genre painting. Stevens’s work was first publicly exhibited in 1851, when three of his paintings were featured at the Brussels Salon. He received a third-class medal at the Paris Salon in 1853, followed by a second-class medal at the Universal Exposition in Paris in 1855. His painting Ce qu’on appelle le vagabondage [What is called vagrancy] (Musée d’Orsay, Paris) garnered attention from Napoleon III, leading to a change in policy regarding the use of soldiers to remove the poor from the streets. Two other paintings displayed at the Salon in Antwerp in the same year, Chez soi or At Home and The Painter and his Model, introduced subjects from “la vie moderne” that became characteristic of his oeuvre: elegant young women dressed in contemporary fashion and artists in their studios. In 1857, Stevens made his first significant sale to a private collector when Consolation was purchased for a rumored 6,000 francs by the Berlin collector and dealer Ravéné. He and his brother also became part of the artistic milieu in Paris, frequenting salons hosted by Princess Mathilde and popular cafes, where they mingled with the likes of the Goncourt brothers, Théophile Gautier, and Alexandre Dumas. Stevens married Fanny Juliette Albertine Marie Hortense Blanc (1836-1891), a member of a wealthy Belgian family and a long-time acquaintance of the Stevens family, in 1858. The wedding was witnessed by the renowned painter Eugène Delacroix. The couple had four children: Leopold, Jean, Catherine, and Pierre. Stevens depicted his wife in numerous portraits, including Regrets and Memories. After her passing, he expressed enduring grief at her loss. During the 1860s, Stevens rose to considerable acclaim for his paintings of fashionable modern women. His exhibits at the Salons in Paris and Brussels garnered favorable critical reception and attracted enthusiastic buyers. Notably, his work La Dame en Rose or Woman in Pink (Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels), completed in 1866, exemplified a blend of a stylishly attired woman in an interior setting with a detailed exploration of Japanese objects, reflecting his early enthusiasm for Japonisme. In 1863, he was awarded the Legion of Honor (Chevalier) by the French government. In 1867, he secured a first-class medal at the Universal Exposition in Paris, and his rank was elevated to Officer of the Legion of Honor. His social circle included prominent figures such as Édouard Manet, Edgar Degas, Charles Baudelaire, Berthe Morisot, James Abbott McNeill Whistler, Frédéric Bazille, and Puvis de Chavannes, and he was a regular patron of the Café Guerbois in Paris. Stevens participated in the defense of Paris during the Franco-Prussian War but returned to Belgium with his family before the Paris Commune. They later returned to Paris, where Stevens continued to enjoy critical acclaim and success among collectors. In 1875, he purchased a grand house and garden on rue des Martyrs in Paris, which appeared in his paintings as well as those of other artists, such as Édouard Manet’s The Croquet Party. However, he was forced to vacate the property in 1880 to make way for the construction of a new street, which was eventually named after him. In 1878, he was appointed Commander of the Legion of Honor and was awarded another first-class medal at the Salon. Despite earning a significant income from the sale of his paintings, Stevens faced financial difficulties during the 1880s due to a combination of poor investments and excessive spending. His financial strain was further compounded by the cost of summer trips to the seaside, which a doctor had advised him to take for health reasons in 1880. Consequently, when the Paris dealer Georges Petit offered him 50,000 francs to finance his vacations in exchange for paintings created during that period, Stevens agreed. This arrangement, spanning three years, resulted in the sea becoming a significant subject in his work, and over the course of his career, he produced numerous views of popular resorts along the Normandy coast and the Midi in the south. Many of these works were executed in a sketchy style influenced by the Impressionists. Stevens also began teaching private students, including the renowned actress Sarah Bernhardt, who became a close friend, and the American artist William Merritt Chase. Other notable students included Berthe Art, Charles Bell Birch, Jules Cayron, Marie Collart-Henrotin, Louise De Hem, Harriet Campbell Foss, Georgette Meunier, Lilla Cabot Perry, Jean-Paul Sinibaldi, and Fernand Toussaint. The most significant work from the latter part of Stevens’s career was the monumental Panorama du Siècle, 1789–1889, which he painted in collaboration with Henri Gervex. In this project, Stevens painted the women and intricate details, while Gervex focused on the male figures, with the assistance of fifteen assistants. The painting garnered significant acclaim when it was exhibited at the International Exhibition in Paris in 1889. Stevens received several notable tributes during his lifetime. In 1895, a large exhibition of his work was held in Brussels, followed by a retrospective exhibition at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris in 1900, marking the first retrospective dedicated to a living artist by the institution. Supported by patrons led by the Comtesse de Greffulhe, the exhibition achieved both social prestige and widespread acclaim. In 1905, Stevens was the only living artist featured in a retrospective exhibition of Belgian art in Brussels. Despite these accolades, he struggled to sell enough of his work to alleviate his financial difficulties. Having outlived his brothers and the majority of his friends, Stevens passed away in Paris in 1906, residing alone in modest accommodations while remaining in touch with his four children.

Creator:
Alfred Stevens (1823 - 1906)
Creation Year:
1892
Dimensions:
Height: 38.39 in (97.5 cm)Width: 45.48 in (115.5 cm)Depth: 3.94 in (10 cm)
Medium:
Canvas,Oil
Movement & Style:
Impressionist
Period:
Late 19th Century
Condition:
The artwork is elegantly displayed within a high-quality frame, impeccably preserved in its excellent condition. This piece is presented in a state suitable for immediate gallery hanging, having undergone professional review.
Gallery Location:
Knokke, BE
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU2006213599852

More From This Seller

'Lenin and Krupskaya in a Winter Landscape' Petr Malyshev (1909 - Moskow - 1976)

Located in Knokke, BE

Malyshev Petr Nikolaevich - Пётр Николаевич Малышев 1909 – Moskow – 1976 Russia – Honoured Artist of the RSFSR 'Lenin and Krupskaya in a Winter Landscape' - Vladimir Ilyich Ulyano...

Category

Mid-20th Century Impressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

'Lenin and Krupskaya in a Winter Landscape' Petr Malyshev (1909 - Moskow - 1976)

Petr Nikolaevich Malyshev
'Lenin and Krupskaya in a Winter Landscape' Petr Malyshev (1909 - Moskow - 1976), 1939

$94,911

'Lady in the Garden' by Adolphe Crespin, Brussels 1859 – 1944, Belgian Painter

Located in Knokke, BE

Adolphe Crespin Brussels 1859 – 1944 Belgian Painter 'Lady in the Garden' Signature: Signed lower left Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: Image size 6...

Category

Early 20th Century Impressionist Landscape Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

'Lady in the Garden' by Adolphe Crespin, Brussels 1859 – 1944, Belgian Painter

Crespin Adolphe
'Lady in the Garden' by Adolphe Crespin, Brussels 1859 – 1944, Belgian Painter, 1859 – 1944

$7,870

A Landscape with Two Roosters, Hoess Eugen Ludwig, 1866 – 1955, German Painter

Located in Knokke, BE

A Landscape with Two Roosters Hoess Eugen Immenstadt 1866 – 1955 Langenwang German Painter Signature: Signed bottom right and dated 27 Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: Image size 72 x 94 cm Biography: Hoess Eugen Ludwig was born in 1866 in Immenstadt, Germany. He was a painter of landscapes and hunting scenes. He painted not only oil paintings but also watercolours and made etchings. Hoess passed the entrance examination at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. He was a student of master teachers and artists Kirchbach, Raupp, v. Hackl and Ritter v. Herterich. In 1889 he moved to Frankfurt and in 1891 he returned to Munich. In 1898 he went on study trips to Sweden, Austria and Italy and returned to his hometown. Two years later he had his first exhibition in Munich with paintings of hunting scenes...

Category

Early 20th Century Impressionist Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

A Landscape with Two Roosters, Hoess Eugen Ludwig, 1866 – 1955, German Painter

Hoess Eugen
A Landscape with Two Roosters, Hoess Eugen Ludwig, 1866 – 1955, German Painter, 1927

$3,703

A Little Farmhouse, Georges De Sloovere, Bruges 1873 – 1970, Belgian Painter

Located in Knokke, BE

A Little Farmhouse De Sloovere Georges Bruges 1873 – 1970 Belgian Painter Bruges School Signature: Signed bottom left Dimensions: Image size 71 x 60 cm, frame size 81 x 70 cm Mediu...

Category

Early 20th Century Impressionist Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

A Little Farmhouse, Georges De Sloovere, Bruges 1873 – 1970, Belgian Painter

De Sloovere Georges
A Little Farmhouse, Georges De Sloovere, Bruges 1873 – 1970, Belgian Painter, 1873 – 1970

$5,208

A Garden with Tulips, Antoine Daens, Brussels 1871 – 1946, Belgian, Signed

Located in Knokke, BE

A Garden with Tulips Daens Antoine Brussels 1871 – 1946 Belgian Painter Signature: Signed bottom left and dated 1936 Dimensions: Image size 53 x 69 cm, frame size 61 x 77 cm Medium...

Category

Early 20th Century Impressionist Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Panel

A Garden with Tulips, Antoine Daens, Brussels 1871 – 1946, Belgian, Signed

Daens Antoine
A Garden with Tulips, Antoine Daens, Brussels 1871 – 1946, Belgian, Signed, 1936

$6,018

'Swans of Bruges – Beguinage Bridge' Leo Mechelaere, Bruges 1880 – 1964 Erlangen

Located in Knokke, BE

Leo Mechelaere Bruges, Belgium 1880 – 1964 Erlangen, Germany Belgian Painter 'Swans of Bruges – Beguinage Bridge' Signature: Signed lower left Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: Image size 65 x 75 cm Provenance: Painting "Swans of Bruges" was exhibited at Salon des Artistes Indépendants Normands in Rouen, France on June 7th, 1956. Biography: Leo Mechelaere, or Leon Mechelaere as he was sometimes known, emerged from the cobblestone streets of Bruges, Belgium, in 1880, destined to leave an indelible mark on the canvas of art history. Born into a world of rich cultural heritage and artistic inspiration, Mechelaere’s passion for painting ignited early, fueling a lifelong journey of creative exploration. His formative years were steeped in the traditions of the Academy of Fine Arts in Bruges, where he honed his craft under the tutelage of esteemed masters. Among them, Edouard Van Hove (1851 – 1913) and Franz Courtens (1850 – 1943) imparted their wisdom, guiding Mechelaere’s hand as he navigated the intricacies of form, light, and color. Under the mentorship of Juliaan De Vriendt...

Category

Early 20th Century Impressionist Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

'Swans of Bruges – Beguinage Bridge' Leo Mechelaere, Bruges 1880 – 1964 Erlangen

Leo Mechelaere
'Swans of Bruges – Beguinage Bridge' Leo Mechelaere, Bruges 1880 – 1964 Erlangen, Early 20th Century

$4,514

You May Also Like

Nocturnal Garden Landscape -- West Side Cottage

By Kristy Simmons

Located in Soquel, CA

A nocturnal landscape of a cottage shrouded in foliage by Kristy Simmons (American, 20th century). Signed, stretcher bar, on verso. Unframed. Image, 19.38"H x 23.88"W. Painted during...

Category

1990s American Impressionist Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Nocturnal Garden Landscape -- West Side Cottage

Kristy Simmons
Nocturnal Garden Landscape -- West Side Cottage, 1994

$750

Dynamic Clouds and Fields - Alabama Landscape

By Judith Fields

Located in Soquel, CA

Beautiful dynamic clouds above minimal landscape by Judith Fields (American, 20th Century). Signed and dated by artist upper left corner "Judith Fields '99". Presented in a rustic whitewashed frame. Image, 11.88"H x 8.75"W. Judith Fields is an award-winning artist in encaustics, mixed media and watercolor. She is primarily a self-taught artist, augmenting her personal study with various professional workshops around the country. Having worked in many media, including watercolor and acrylics, she has become primarily an encaustic and mixed media artist. Judith works out of her home studio and exhibits at Huntsville Art League. She is a member of International Encaustics Artists...

Category

1990s American Impressionist Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Cardboard

Dynamic Clouds and Fields - Alabama Landscape

Judith Fields
Dynamic Clouds and Fields - Alabama Landscape, 1999

$1,350

Vintage Carmel Mission Landscape with Flowers

By Virginia Francesca Fry

Located in Soquel, CA

Beautiful landscape of a Carmel Mission with blooming flowers in the foreground by Virginia Francesca Fry (American, 1922-2012). Presented in a giltwood...

Category

1970s American Impressionist Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Vintage Carmel Mission Landscape with Flowers

Virginia Francesca Fry
Vintage Carmel Mission Landscape with Flowers, 1975

$1,150

California Nature Landscape -- Springtime by the River

By Ralph Edward Joosten

Located in Soquel, CA

Beautiful landscape of a California springtime river scene by Ralph Edward Joosten (American, 1928-2009). Signed "R. Joosten" lower left. Unframed. Image, 24.25"H x 18"W. Mr. Jooste...

Category

1980s American Impressionist Landscape Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas, Cardboard

California Nature Landscape -- Springtime by the River

Ralph Edward Joosten
California Nature Landscape -- Springtime by the River, 1980

$1,150

Late 19th Century Nocturnal Landscape -- Countryside at Night

By Adelaide Elizabeth Doman Crocker

Located in Soquel, CA

Gorgeous nocturnal period oil painting landscape of a cabin in the San Rafael, California countryside surrounded by the blue mountains of Mt Tamalpais by Abbie (Adelaide) Crocker (American b-1834-1909), c.1886. Faint signature on verso in lead pencil. Unframed. Image, 18"H x 26"W. An early and significant Oakland artist whom studied with Thaddeus Welch...

Category

1880s American Impressionist Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Late 19th Century Nocturnal Landscape -- Countryside at Night

Adelaide Elizabeth Doman Crocker
Late 19th Century Nocturnal Landscape -- Countryside at Night, 1866

$2,650

Mid Century Reflecting Mountains Norwegian Landscape

Located in Soquel, CA

Serene mid-century landscape of mountains reflecting over a fjord in Norway by an unknown artist, Circa 1940's. Unsigned. Displayed in a rustic giltwood frame. Image, 20"H x 24"W. The Norwegian and Antarctic Fjords were carved by a massive sheet of ice...

Category

1940s Impressionist Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Cardboard

Mid Century Reflecting Mountains Norwegian Landscape

Mid Century Reflecting Mountains Norwegian Landscape, c.1940s

$1,150

Recently Viewed

More Ways To Browse

William David Watch

English Romanticism

Ocean Liner Painting

Oil Painting Serbia

Onion Oil Painting

Painting Blossoming Trees French

Regatta Painting

Vintage Oil Paintings Of German Landscapes

16x20 Gilt Frame

California Foothills

California Poppy

View All Popular Landscape Paintings Searches