Items Similar to Antique Pair of French Pastel and Gouache Portraits, Mid-19th Century

Antique French Portrait Pastel Oil Painting of Girl & Dog, 19th Century

Pair of 19th Century French Portraits

Italian Neapolitan Pair of Gouache Views, Mid 19th Century

Pair of Italian 19th Century Neapolitan Gouaches

Elegant 19th Century Pastel Portrait of French Officer with Gold Wooden

19th Century 24 Watercolor and Gouache Portraits of Gentry, Dancers, Artist

Want more images or videos?

Request additional images or videos from the seller

1 of 12

Antique Pair of French Pastel and Gouache Portraits, Mid-19th Century

About the Item

This is a stunning antique pair of charming oval half-length pastel and gouache portraits of French aristocratic ladies, one bears an indistinct signature to the bottom right and they are circa 1840 in date. This sensitively constructed antique pair of oval portraits feature two young ladies executed by a professional hand, they are posing facing left and right with styled bouffant powered hair. These antique portraits have bright vibrant colors, are finished in great detail to the highest of standards and are in their original gilt frames each decorated with a carved beaded slip. Condition: These antique pastel and gouache portraits are in really superb condition, the paintings and frames having been beautifully cleaned, please see photos for confirmation. Dimensions in cm: Height 33 x width 29 x depth 3 Dimensions in inches: Height 13.0 x width 11.4 x depth 1.2 Pastel Paintings The true nature and definition of pastel is “to be dry.” It is not a wet medium like most forms of painting. Its dry, stick-like quality allows pastel to have a close association with drawing, which can be used as both a verb and noun. As a verb, it describes the physical act of mark-making to create the appearance of an image, form, or shape. As a noun, it describes the produced image. Painting, on the other hand, is defined as the application of paint, pigment, or color to a surface. It commonly relies on a brush for application, although other means of application are utilized. Painting can also be used as a verb or noun, signifying the act or end result of the action. The definitions of drawing and painting have evolved over the years. Most working artists today associate the act of drawing to mark/line making with a dry media like charcoal, pencil, pen and ink, chalk or pastel and the act of painting to shape configurations that consist of value and color applied wet with paint on a brush. It is easy to see how these two can overlap in definition. An artist can easily use colored lead pencils to create a piece of artwork that represents a realistic portrayal of shapes, values and colors and another artist can easily utilize a brush filled with paint to make definite marks and lines. Some have drawn the line, no pun intended, between a pastel drawing and painting by the amount of paper or flat surface allowed to show. If the tone of the paper/surface plays a major visual role in the final appearance of the artwork, it is a drawing. If the paper/surface is completely covered with pastel, it is considered a painting. These differentiations can become even harder to make when pastel is made wet, a process often employed at the beginning stages to set an underpainting or tone to the paper/surface. So how do you define pastel artwork? Is it drawing or painting? It is a perplexing question. My observation is that if we stick to the dictionary definition, pastel is a drawing medium. It is pigment in a dry stick form. But, when placed in the hands of an artist who applies it with the intent of creating an image that communicates to the observer with the symbolic use of shape, edge, value and color, it can be considered a painting medium. While the definition debate will inevitably continue, for most of us it is of little concern. What matters is if the artwork has successfully communicated our intent and we enjoy the medium. As an artist friend once said, “I let others label what my artwork is, as long as they see it as beautiful”. Our reference: 09485.

Dimensions:

Height: 13 in (33 cm)Width: 11.42 in (29 cm)Depth: 1.19 in (3 cm)

Sold As:

Set of 2

Materials and Techniques:

Other,Gilt

Place of Origin:

France

Period:

1840-1849

Date of Manufacture:

circa 1840