William Franklin Draper

"High Society"

1952

Circa 1890 Signed verso on stretcher bar Original period gold leaf frame Overall size framed 21 x 18 in

Very well executed portrait of Jacob Dolson Cox. See the sitter’s biography below. Signed top right and dated 1881. Relined canvas, very good condition. The portrait is housed in a contemporary replica of a period frame. Overall framed measurements are 33.25 by 28.25 inches. Provenance: A East Hampton, Long Island collector. Biography George Peter Alexander Healy was born in Boston on July 15, 1813, the first of five children of William Healy, an Irish immigrant and captain of a merchant vessel, and his wife Mary Hicks. Healy showed an early artistic interest: by 1830 the self-taught painter had opened a portrait studio from which he hoped to help to support his family. Although commissions were at first sparse, young Healy received important encouragement from Thomas Sully (1783-1872)) who advised him to make painting his profession. His fortunes also improved in 1831 when Mrs. Harrison Gray Otis, a leader in Boston society, granted him permission to paint her portrait and recommended his talents to other potential patrons. In 1834 Healy went to France where he studied with Baron Antoine-Jean Gros (1771-1835). A year later he traveled through Italy, visiting museums and churches in the company of Lady and Sir Arthur Faulkner who soon provided his introduction to London society. It was in England that Healy met and, in 1839, married Louisa Phipps. The couple settled in Paris where Healy embarked upon the beginning of a long and happy marriage and thriving career. His diplomatic and affable demeanor, together with his obvious skill, brought him tremendous success throughout Europe and the United States. Prolific, as well as talented, he had by 1867 produced more than six hundred portraits. The constant stream of commissions included dignified, imposing portraits of such celebrated figures as Pope Pius IX and Queen Elizabeth of Romania, the latter of whom developed a warm friendship with Healy and his family. Although Healy, sometimes accompanied by his wife, traveled to the United States several times during the 1840s and early 1850s, it was not until 1856 that the entire family settled in America. They took up residence in the booming city of Chicago, which Healy used as a base for his work in Boston, Philadelphia, New Orleans, and other cities. During the Civil War years he often traveled to Washington to paint military figures and members of the President's cabinet. The family returned to Europe in 1867, but George Healy...

Evocative original oil on canvas painting by the Welsh artist, John Bowen. Signed lower left. Condition is very good. Circa 1970. The artist uses the light to capture the beauty of the young girl looking directly at us with her cat resting in her lap. The painting is housed in a dark wood frame with narrow liner of the same time period of the artwork. Overall framed measurement is 41 by 29 inches. Provenance: A Sarasota, Florida estate. John Bowen (1914–2006) Carmarthenshire Museums Service Collection Painter, born in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire. After attending Llanelli and Swansea Schools of Art he taught at Llanelli School of Art, 1939–60, also at the Boys’ Grammar School there apart from wartime service in the Royal Air Force. He was an artist member of SWG and also showed WAC and at the Royal National Eisteddfod. In 1968 he had a retrospective at Parc Howard Mansion, Llanelli. Painter of landscapes in Britain and abroad and still life, in oil and watercolour whose work is in many public collections, including WAC and Newport Art Gallery and Museum. Text source: 'Artists in Britain Since 1945' by David Buckman (Art Dictionaries Ltd, part of Sansom & Company) His work was influenced by some of the twentieth century's greatest artists such as Pablo Picasso and Marc Chagall. His paintings are in the permanent collections of Parc Howard Museum...

Early original oil on canvas painting of sailboats in stormy seas by the American artist, Nahum Tschacbasov. Artist signed lower right and dated 1945. Condition is very good. Prese...

John William Godward 1861-1922 British A Pompeian Lady Signed and dated "J.W. Godward 1904" (lower right, partially covered by frame) Oil on canvas One of the last and greatest Victorian neoclassical painters, John William Godward is celebrated for his flawlessly executed images of graceful women posed in idealized ancient settings. In this work, entitled A Pompeian Lady, a classical beauty is caught idling in a moment of quiet, solitary reflection. Godward's elegant subjects are depicted with a degree of technical mastery that remains unsurpassed, and the work's dramatic palette, luxurious fabrics and classical vision are all characteristics of his unique take on the neoclassical style. Godward was unmatched in terms of his technical skill and attention to detail. A master of contrasting textures, he paints a diaphanous gown draping against the model’s smooth, milky white skin, which sits against the painstakingly rendered individual hairs of a tiger’s pel. Scintillating color permeates the canvas as well, energizing the otherwise static scene. Each element is given careful attention, and the overall effect is one of both immaculate technique and sensual tactility. Along with his contemporary and mentor, Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Godward set the tone for the Victorian neoclassicist movement. He built his career upon creating images of idealized feminine beauty infused with a Greco-Roman-inspired style. Though greatly influenced by Alma-Tadema, Godward distinguished himself through his predilection for the solitary female figure. His fame rose dramatically in the first few years of the 20th century, when the present work was completed, due to the burgeoning strength of the British Empire and the Victorian society’s preoccupation with ancient Rome. To many of the newly affluent, Roman society was, as Iain Gale writes, “a flawless mirror of their own immaculate world.” The sensuality and mystery of Godward’s maidens, combined with his impressive antique backdrops...

Emperor Napoléon I was and remains one of the most legendary military and political figures in history, having held, for a brief period, the fate of the Western world in his hands. Composed by the French painter Joseph Franque...

The son of the legendary Napoléon Bonaparte, Napoléon François Charles Joseph, takes a spirited stance in this remarkable oil painting attributed to the Austrian portraitist Johann Peter Krafft. Believed to have been exhibited at the Exposition Universelle of 1900 in Paris, this work stands as a testament to both Austrian artistry and the legacy of one of the most powerful men in history. After Napoléon's exile to the island of Elba in 1814, his son was seen by many of his supporters as the last hope of France. The child was named the ruler of half of Europe, holding the titles of Napoléon II...

Oil on canvas Image size: 30 x 25 inches (76 x 63.5 cm) Original gilt swept frame This portrait is marked by its loose brushwork, which creates a sense of hazy nostalgia. Despite th...