The Passion of Collecting Academic Nudes

Join me as we explore my collection of Academic Nudes from the 18th, 19th, and Early 20th Centuries and serendipitous finds in the Museum, Art Auction, and Gallery world......examples from the Golden Age of the European Academie


Saturday, March 31, 2012

Josue Dupon (1864-1935): Bronze Medal "L'Effort"... circa 1930

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The artist in his studio..

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This morning I bought this nice example of Josue Dupon's beautiful medal titled "L'Effort." I do not have an example of medalic art in my collection and it was affordably priced. I was captivated by that beautifully posed Art Deco nude. Josue Dupon (1864-1935) studied at Roselare and the Antwerp Academy. He was a close friend of Jules Lagae and Rembrandt Bugatti. He is best known for his monumental bronze sculptures at the Antwerp Zoo. During his career he designed about sixty medals. He took the Gold medal at the 1871 Antwerp Salon for his sculpture in plaster titled "Sampson en de Leeuw."

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Here are a few illustrations of his other works and additional examples of "L'Effort"..

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Friday, March 30, 2012

Friedrich Kaspar Heising (1821-1902): Academic Male Nude Painting, 1841

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Self-portrait of the Artist


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The Friedrich Kaspar Heising (1821-1902) academic male nude painting arrived last Saturday. I did not find the package in the garage until Sunday morning and completely missed the delivery. I found a nice spot for it in the middle of the wall above the flat screen and moved a few of the other frames around to accommodate it. When the seller in Germany and I were trying to get to a price that would get it out of Germany without having to go through the labyrinth of German Customs and into my collection, I mentioned to the seller that I suspected the painting had been cut down based upon the missing feet. No self respecting 19th century painting instructor overseeing the training of a talented student such as Heising would permit the submission of an academic nude study with the feet missing. That was just not going to happen. After closely inspecting the painting I am now positive that the painting was indeed cut down but not for the obvious reasons (stupidity). This painting has in its past been professionally cleaned, relined, and conserved to preserve what I will readily admit is a beautiful work of artistic draftsmanship. I suspect the feet are missing because of unrepairable damage that may have occurred to that portion of the canvas and the preservationist had no other choice but to preserve what he or she could and still maintain the integrity of the painting. I must say that what was preserved is breathtaking. If you look closely, you can even see individual hairs in the models beard. What a beautifully executed 19th century academic work. I managed to dig up some basic biographical information on Heising and a self-portrait (above). He was a well known German figure and landscape painter who studied in Frankfort originally and established a studio in Koblenz Lahnstein later. His paintings hang in some well known European Museums.
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Thursday, March 29, 2012

Philipp Otto Runge (1777-1810): Academic Male Nude

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Portrait of the artist

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Karl & Faber Kunstauktion GmbH, Munich, DE listed this rare late 18th - early 19th century academic male nude by Philipp Otto Runge (1777-1810)(directly below). The life of Philipp Runge is an interesting study in brevity. He made a late start in his career in art and died at a young age. The auction house has listed the starting bid on this drawing at Euros 12,000, so I am guessing his early student work is indeed rare and more valuable than the average academic drawing. Runge is considered among the best of the well known 19th century German Romantic painters. Romanticism was an artistic, literary, and intellectual movement during the latter party of the 18th century which was a reaction to the Industrial Revolution. He learned his early artistic skills at a young age in the form of scissor-cut silhouettes from his mother. He later studied at the Copenhagen Academy under Danish painter Jens Juel. He later continued his studies at the Dresden Academy. He was also interested in color theory and did some pretty intense analysis and study. He also wrote poetry. Today, his style is considered somewhat rigid, sharp, intense, and almost naive.
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Here is a sampling of his mature works:


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"Morning"


Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Auction Finds - March 2012

Here are a few nudes that I have culled from recent Auctions for the month of March. Enjoy.
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Portrait of a nude female . Indistinctly Signed


Ignacio Diaz (?) Sitting Male Study 1914







Eduard Steinbruck (1802-1882) Amor und Psyche (Above two paintings)


Ulrich Weber (1860-1912) Male Nude Study


Unknown 17th century artist - St. Sebastian


Wilhelm Hermes - Male Anatomy


Willi Helfert (1922- ) : Two female nudes





















O. Ruhm Schohn & Co. Nieder-Lossnitz - Dresden .... Nude Boy Playing



Leopold Rothaug (1868-1959) Landschaft mit Faunen



Karl Prokop (1914-1973) Standing Female Nude


Karl Mader (?) Erwachen der Seele - 1935





Georg Mayr (1888): Female Nude Study ... Intaglio Print



19th century French School.... Male Nude in Classical Pose



F. Bose (18)79 ... Sitting Male Nude







Eberhard Riegele (1889-1960) Female Nude


Cochin Lupferstich 1750 (Copper plate print): Ausnahme Akademie Studie



Carl Walther (1880-1960) 1920 (?)



Early 20th century bronze relief : Mannlicher Akt mit Pferden - 1920






Artur Bar (1884-1972): Akte in Umarmung



19th century Academic Drawing from the antique ..



19th century Academic Study from the antique ... Cesar



Alfred Souci (1879-1963) Standing Female Nude





Alfred Souci (1879-1963) . Female Nude
















Raoul Larche (1860-1912) ...







Paul Foinet ... Standing Male Nude



Neoclassical Academic Study .. Unknown Artist.











Late 19th century Academic Study .. Unknown Artist... Female Nude


Josef Koci (Prague 1880) ... Nude Boy in Landscape







Johannes (Jean) Chalete (1878-1960) Female Nude



F. M. Roganeau (?) ... Female Nude


F. Boucher (?) .. sitting Male Nude


Early 19th century Neoclassical Academic Study


Unknown Artist - 19th century - Male Nude














Leon Lepeltier (1877-1960) Academic Male Nudes







Unknown 19th century Atelier... Standing Female Nude