Unknown

Portrait of an aristocrat with a precious box, ca 1770, Louis XV enlightenment

circa 1770

A fascinating portrait dating from circa 1695-1700 with wonderful provenance: it belonged to the British industrialist Leonard Pelham Lee (1903–1980) and hung in his manor house in W...

Here is an almost two hundred year old painting which is so irresistibly charming that it's crazy! You may have seen painted landscapes, portraits, genre scenes - but how many pretty...

A dramatic, one of a kind oil study. Certainly not your run of the mill 19th Century portait! Depicted is a young man, whose face is brightly lit from what is likely is an open fire....

I love the feisty attitude of the girl depicted! With her hand on her hip, she seems to be saying to the artist: "Whatya looking at anyway?" She looks like she has a good head on he...

This enchanting late 17th-century French oil painting depicts an elegant gentleman in a silk robe with his right index finger on an open book. Stylistically, it’s comparable to the oeuvre of Jacques d'Agar (1640-1715). Dressed in a rather ostentatious embroidered silk robe...

Unsigned but attributed to acknowledged master Francois-Xavier Fabre (François-Xavier Fabre, 1766 – 1837), French painter of historical subjects. Stylish and perfect portrait of beau...

This early 20th-century oil painting by French artist Honoré Louis Umbricht (1860-1943) depicts Marguerite Grosjean (b. 1895), the daughter of law of Alexandre Grosjean, the mayor of Besançon. Umbricht was a distinguished painter of genre scenes, landscapes, stills and portraits. Born in the attractive city of Obernai, in the Alsace region of North-East France, he had inspiration at his fingertips. Distant mountains, picturesque valleys, the sparkling Ehn River, and sprawling rural plains - a veritable smorgasbord of views. He honed his draughtsmanship under the tuition of his uncle, ‘Hess’, and was soon offered a scholarship by the German government to study in Munich. He refused, however, and headed for Paris to train under the highly-regarded Léon Bonnat (1833-1922). Bonnat’s studio was synonymous with success and he encouraged his students to paint freely and with expression. His own portraits were influenced by the Spanish masters, such as Diego Velázquez (1599-1660), and he extolled the virtues of this style. Umbricht was in fine company as Bonnat also trained John Singer Sargent, P. S. Krøyer, Erik Werenskiold, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Gustave Caillebotte among others. Following his training, the Paris Salon beckoned and the young Umbricht’s debut came in 1880. By 1884, he’d been awarded his first medal and several more would follow including at the Chicago and London Exhibition and the prestigious Exposition Universelle (1900). He was subsequently knighted with the Cross of the Order of Leopold. Midway through his career, the critics were alive with praise describing his portraits as “full of mastery” and with “very true and harmonious” colouring. In 1911, the newspaper ‘Le Rappel...

French School circa 1645 Portrait of Cardinal Mazarin - Sketch Oil on canvas H. 41.5 cm; W. 27 cm Provenance: Collection of the Reverend Georges Downing Bowles (1789-1863) Would ...