Book Review: The Art of Drawing in France - 1400-1900

*

 Charles-Andre (Carle) Van Loo - Male Nude Standing With A Writing Tablet - 1863

 Edme Bouchardon - Small Child Seated, Holding A Laurel Wreath - 1863

Jean-Auguste Dominique Ingres - Angel of Death

Francois Boucher - Male Nude Study -Black Chalk heightened with White Chalk

*

I was browsing eBay France last week and I stumbled (one of my favorite past-times, I have the x-rays and MRI's to prove it) onto the French edition of this exhibition catalog of Drawings from the Nationalmuseum, Stockholm which took place at The Drawing Center, NYC, NY in 1987. I checked Amazon.com and they had an English translation so I ordered a copy. The exhibition was a celebration of The Drawing Center's 10th anniversary. The French drawings in the collection of the Nationalmuseum, Stockholm are celebrated throughout the world. The exhibition was a comprehensive review of all the various artistic periods in France from 1400 to 1900 and many of the major influences of featured artists of that time period.  I have posted the few strictly academic studies that I found (above), not to diminish the other beautiful drawings in the publication. If you love French drawings like I do, then add this publication to your library.

-------------------------------------------

Title: The Art of Drawing in France - 1400-1900
Author: Per Bjurstrom
Publisher: Philip Wilson Publishers
Date of Publication: 1987
ISBN: None Listed

Auguste Leveque (1866-1921): Das Liebespaar

*

Dusseldorfer Auktionshaus, Dusseldorf, DE has just listed this beautiful composition by Auguste Leveque (1866-1921) in their current catalog. The composition, color pallet, and paint application just takes my breath away. A real gem.

------------------------------------------------------

Sarah Flintzer: Die Unschuld (The Innocence)

*

Galerie Bassenge, Berlin-Grunewald, DE has listed this beautiful atmospheric painting titled "Die Unschuld" (Innocence) by the German painter Sarah Flintzer. She was the wife of Hugo Flintzer (1862-1917).Both she and her husband studied at the Weimar Art School. Unfortunately, there is little known about her history other than she and her husband collaborated during their careers. From 1881 to 1884 they studied at the Max Thedy Art Institute in Weimar. Unfortunately, today many of their works are missing. Hugo painted mostly atmospheric landscapes, well within the meaning of the Art Noveau movement. Stylistically her work is well within the tradition of Sascha Schneider, who taught at the Weimar Art School from 1904.

-----------------------------------------

Eduard Stiefel (1875-1968): Female Nude in the Studio - 1903

*

Several weeks ago I found a beautiful Male nude listed in an auction catalog by the Swiss Artist Eduard Stiefel (1875-1968) and posted it for you (See the last illustration below). This afternoon while browsing eBay Austria I found another example of his work, this time an intaglio print of a female nude in a studio setting. I love these nudes in the studio setting. This print is a fine example of Stiefel's artistic abilities. In the hands of a capable restoration specialist, that foxing on the print can be removed.

-------------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------

Here is the male nude from the original post:

----------------------------------------

Do You See what I See? Or Is My Mind In The Gutter?

*

I stumbled on this little gem this morning on eBay Austria. I had to pick myself up off the floor to stop laughing. At first I thought it was some kind of mistake, given that overt phallic design in the cut of the mat, then I read the description and looked closely at the content of the composition. That is the Blessed Virgin standing there, No?. How would you like to have been a 19th century husband unveiling this to your household after having taken this nice watercolor study of a monument to the Emperor and fallen soldiers by your favorite artist to the picture gallery for framing and having this come home? I will bet the housemaids were giggling every time they walked past that phallic shape in the master's bedroom.

--------------------------------------------------

Current Auction House Listings: Nude Ephebes (Nude Boys)

*

Several of the European Auction Houses are currently listing works featuring the nude ephebe (nude boy) in their auction catalogs. I thought I would list them separately because they tend to get lost in some of the larger posts of academic nudes that I post. Enjoy.

----------------------------------

Attributed to William Mulready, pencil study of a nude male youth (above)

Adolph Curry (1879-1939): Nude Boy Play a Flute

Ludwig Knauss (1829-1910) Study of a Nude Boy Playing a Horn

(Unknown Artist) Late 19th Century Germany: The Prodigal Son

Unknown German Artist: Nude Boy Holding a Skull

Demetrio Paernio (1851-1920): Nude Boy with Crab (Fountain Figure)

(?) Ring : Junge am Strand - ca. 1910

Otto Sohn-Rethel (1877-1949) Drie Nackte Knaben - 1910

Otto Sohn-Rethel (1877-1949) Drie Nackte Knaben Kochen eine Suppe - 1910

Unknown Artist: (19th Century) Study of a Cupid

Karoly Ferenczy (1862-1917): Male Youth Astride a Horse

*

Virag Judit Galeria, Budapest, HU has listed this beautiful work by Karoly Ferenczy (1862-1917) in their current auction catalog. I have featured Ferenczy in a previous posting and if you would like to see the post, just search the artist's name in the search slot above and it should pop up. The drawing stylistic similarities between the figure on the horse and the academic male nude in my collection a quite similar.  

-----------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------

Here is the academic male nude by Ferenczy in my collection :

-------------------------------------