Sidney Gross Paintings

Jean François Portaels 1818 - Brussels - 1895 Belgian Painter ‘Oriental Girls - Mediants à Tanger, Maroc’ Signature: signed lower right ‘J. Portaels’ Medium: oil on canvas Dimensions: image size 40,5 x 28,5 cm, frame size 67,5 x 56 cm Biography: Jean François Portaels, also known as Jan Portaels, was a versatile Belgian painter born on April 3, 1818, in Vilvoorde and passed away on February 8, 1895, in Schaerbeek. He was celebrated for his genre scenes, biblical stories, landscapes, portraits, and Orientalist subjects. As a teacher and director of the Academy of Fine Arts of Ghent and the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, Portaels significantly impacted Belgian art, becoming a pivotal figure in the Belgian Orientalist school. His works were known for their 'everyday elegance and feminine grace,' and he played a crucial role in influencing the next generation of Belgian artists, including notable figures like Théo van Rysselberghe. Portaels was the son of a wealthy brewer who also served as Vilvoorde's mayor. Showing an early passion for drawing, he was sent to the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels in 1836, where he studied under François-Joseph Navez, a former student of Jacques-Louis David. Navez invited him to his studio, which was renowned at the time, allowing Portaels to refine his skills alongside other talented students like Charles de Groux and Joseph Stallaert. In 1841, Portaels moved to Paris, enrolling at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and studying under Paul Delaroche. He became influenced by the emerging Orientalist movement, which was gaining traction in Paris. In 1842, he won the Grand Prix de Rome, which funded his travels across Italy and other regions, including Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Judea, Spain, Hungary, and Norway. These journeys profoundly influenced his artistic vision, particularly his Orientalist works. Upon his return to Belgium in 1847, Portaels was appointed Director of the academy in Ghent. In 1849, he married Marie Hélène Navez, the daughter of his first teacher. Despite being offered the directorship of the Brussels Academy, he initially declined, opting to preserve his independence. He later accepted a teaching position at the Academy and eventually became its director in 1878, succeeding Eugène Simonis. Portaels was known for his broad range of artistic talents, including history painting, portraiture, and genre art. He was particularly recognised for his Orientalist depictions, often portraying the 'Oriental woman' with distinctive features like arched eyebrows and almond-shaped eyes. His style, marked by charm and elegance, distinguished him from the dominant artistic movements of Classicism and Romanticism. He was a pioneer in monumental art in Belgium, working with Jean Baptiste van Eycken to introduce fresco techniques like water glass painting...

Marcel Dyf Claudine Signed lower right Oil on canvas 25 1/2 x 21 1/2 inches Marcel Dyf, born Marcel Dreyfus in Paris, was a French painter whose work carried forward the traditions...

American, Late 20th Century In the Manner of Lucio Ranucci Signed: Ramsey (Lower, Left) " The Red Balloon " Oil on Canvas 36" x 24" Housed in a 3" Wood Frame with a 5/8" Linen...

French Art Deco Fauvist portrait, oil on paper laid on canvas by Auguste Chabaud. The painting is signed bottom right and carries an atelier label, with date, to the rear of the canv...

Eberhard Guillaume 1879 – Maastricht – 1949 Dutch Painter 'Young Girl Knitting' Signature: signed lower left and dated 'G Eberhard 1906' Medium: oil on canvas Dimensions: image siz...

Artwork sold with frame (114 x 93 x 6 cm) Jules-Ami Courvoisier was a prominent Swiss painter, illustrator, and poster artist, born in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1884. He studied under Ch...

After the Hunt Jan Josef Horemans the Younger Antwerp 1714 – 1790 Flemish School Signature: Attributed to Jan Josef the Younger Horemans Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: Size incl...

A pair of beautiful oil paintings by Fritz Zuber-Buhler, titled "The New Arrival" and "After Bath," exemplify his dedication to academic traditions in the ...

Large French Mid 20th Century, oil on paper laid on canvas, portrait of a seated female figure by Sylvain Vigny. The painting is signed bottom left and presented in a very fine carve...

Charles Joseph Watelet Beauraing 1867 – 1954 Brussels Belgian Painter 'Lady in Rose' Signature: signed lower right and dated 'Ch. Watelet 1924' Medium: oil on canvas Dimensions: im...

Théodule Augustin Ribot St Nicolas d’Attez 1823 – 1891 Colombes French Painter 'La Leçon de Chant – The Singing Lesson' Signature: signed lower left 't.ribot' Medium: oil on canva...

"Self Portrait, Lamplight" is an oil on canvas painting. It is a self portrait of Steven Levin, sitting in a room on a couch. We see the artists personal collection of art and items ...