Jean-Paul Milliet (1844-1918) Pencil Drawing of a Seated Nude Youth - Circa 1900

I was on eBay Germany this morning when I decided to visit an Art dealer that I have bought from in the past and happened upon this very nice pencil drawing of a seated nude boy. It was very affordable so I snapped it up (Poor watchers of the auction missed their chance to own it... too bad, so sad). The seller (Antike Original-Graphic) on eBay Germany also had in his inventory quite a few other what appear to be working line drawings of both male and female nudes. Unlike some other sellers on the European Auction sites the Gallery asking prices are in the "affordable range" so if you are interested in adding to you own collection then pay the Gallery a visit. Here is the biographical information provided by the seller: Jean-Paul Milliet was born on March 6, 1844 in Le Mans (Pays de la Loire). He was a French historical and decorative painter, archaeologist and writer. After the coup d'état of 1851, he went into exile in Geneva with his father Félix. There he was a student of Jean-Léonard Lugardon. In 1863 Milliet returned to France. In Paris he worked for Charles Gleyre, among others. In the years 1866-69 and 1872-79 he made several study trips to Italy. Milliet decorated the ceiling in the large foyer of the Grand Théâtre in Geneva. He also created numerous decorative paintings in French official buildings such as in Paris, Reims and Rouen. Milliet died on January 8, 1918 in Paris. Here is an additional sampling of the other drawings by this artist currently up for sale:

In addition to the work by Milliet, the seller has also listed drawings by Karl Ludwig Nagel (1898-1959), Eduard Winkler (1884-1978), and Ludwig Berwald (1865-1943). Here is a sampling of the Nagel listings:

Here is a sampling of the Winkler listings:

And here is a sampling of the Berwald listings:

Victor Wehrle Anfruns (19th - Early 20th Century) Study of a Nude Boy .. circa 1900-1930

The low light levels and short days through the winter have taken their toll on an old dude but I’m up and at it again! I apologize for the lack of posts lately but life is full of challenges at my age and it takes time to recover from the “Winter Maiden’s” curse of low light. There is so much territory to cover so I would like to start with my very latest acquisition. It is an oils on canvas academic nude study of a boy from the early 20th century by the Spanish artist Victor Wehrle Afruns (Late 19th -Early 20th Century). The seller in Barcelona, Spain has listed a good number of academic nude paintings attributed to the same artist with the usual, somewhat boring, academic poses featured in the majority of academic nude studies but the pose captured in this painting of a nude boy struck my collecting eye as quite unique, one that these old eyes has never seen before. Standing nudes seem to be de rigueur, poses range all over the spectrum, standing, back side, front side, side views, and all those “losers late for class” views which nobody in their right mind would paint and which defy even Michelangelo to make the end product interesting! But a sitting male nude with full access to the most private parts of his sexual anatomy is just so much more inticing, interesting, down right naughty, and unique in the world of academic nude study. Now step back and take a close look at the overall format of this pose. Ask yourself: “Where is the center of gravity in this studio pose?“ (You will be forgiven if his “sex” is your correct answer). The model’s attention is poised on something on the top of his right foot (an imaginary tick?) but the astute viewer’s attention on the real focus of that pose is on that singular classic Greek acroposthion of the young lads penis! It’s right there, it’s in your face, and it’s as natural as the 3.5 million years of evolution that it took to produce it! It’s beautiful in its own right! It’s as natural as sunshine! Now ask yourself: How many times have you seen that pose in an academic nude study? I will wager “not very often” or if you said… “Never,” then I rest my case on why this painting is coming into my collection! Unfortunately there is not very much biographical information on the artist out there but his academic studies speak for themselves! Enjoy. ______________________________________________

___________________ Here are additional works listed for sale:

UPDATE: After a month of addition time which included additional fees for shipping and export licenses the painting finally arrived from the Art Gallery in Spain. When the package hit customs in Orlando, DHL socked me for additional import fees! And the moral of that story is if it has a home in Spain, then leave it there! My original intention was to send it out for restoration but after all the additional fees I am starting to wonder if it is worth the extra expense!

Unknown French Artist - 19th Century Male Nude - Elderly Bearded Man

I was on eBay France this morning when I came upon a very nicely executed academic male nude by an unknown French artist in late 19th century. The asking price is a bit expensive for an unknown work but the beauty of the artist's skills persist. Here is the description (translated from the French) which was included in the listing: ---------------- "This is an oil on canvas that presents a nude academy or nude study, typical of classical 19th century art. In the center of the composition, we find a naked old man sitting on a stool. The painter did a remarkable job capturing the model's complexion with beautiful definition. The details are so fine that they make it appear as if the model is in person in the room. Unfortunately, the artist's signature is at the bottom right, but it has become illegible over time. This work offers a fascinating insight into the artistic mastery of the period and the fascination with human anatomy in 19th century art." --------------- Enjoy!