Edouard Vuillard

Etude de nu assis - Nabis Oil, Seated Nude in Interior by Edouard Vuillard

circa 1903

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...

Wonderful oil on canvas circa 1960 by French modernist painter Maurice Brianchon. The work depicts a blonde-haired nude seated on a wooden chair turned away from the artist with her chin resting in her hand. Signature: Signed lower left Dimensions: Framed: 38"x33" Unframed: 29"x24" Provenance: Fondation de L'Hermitage (Lausanne) - Exhibition Maurice Brianchon 13th October 1989 - 28th January 1990 As a young man, Maurice Brianchon studied at school in Le Mans before joining the École des Beaux-Arts in Bordeaux. He went on to study at the École des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, remaining there from 1917 to 1923 and working under the direction of Eugène Morand. It was here that he met and became friends with Oudot and Legueult. When he exhibited for the first time at the Salon d'Automne he was immediately elected as a member. He received the Blumenthal Award in 1924 and the Carnegie Prize in 1939. He was a founder member of the Salon des Tuileries and was appointed to serve on the committee in 1941. He also exhibited at the Salon de la Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He took part in major exhibitions abroad, including the Venice Triennale, Antwerp, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Madrid, Brussels and Stockholm. He soon made his mark as a decorative artist, creating stage sets for the Opéra for a production of Griséldis (1922) in collaboration with Legueult, and for Noble and Sentimental Waltzes ( Valses Nobles et Sentimentales) (1938), Sylvia (1941) and The Model Animals ( Les Animaux Modèles) (1944). He created a large, decorative piece entitled Symphony at the Palais de Chaillot, where he worked with Chapelain-Midy, Planson and Oudot. He also decorated the Lycée Janson-de-Sailly with murals. With his wife Marguerite Louppe he produced three large panels commissioned by the state in 1942 for the Conservatoire. The Gobelins and Aubusson tapestry works produced tapestries after his cartoons. He also produced cartoons for...

Exquisite oil on canvas painting by artist Arthur Bowen Davies (American 1862-1928). The work depicts a young nude man walking through a lush green, ethereal landscape. Thick earth-t...

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