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Late 19th century French school
Portrait of an Old Breton Woman
Oil on paper 32 x 25 cm (46 x 36 cm with frame)
Inscribed on the back in pencil "Rozenn".
Good condition
The French realist school of peasant life had several tendencies, including the academic painters who strove to render the beauty of the peasant condition. These included painters who took courses from the academic painters Gérôme, Cabanel and Lesquien, for example. At the end of the 19th century, this led to hyper-realistic scenes and portraits, particularly in Brittany. We're thinking of painters like Istres Contencin, Lionel Royer and Jules Trayer. Our painting is part of this movement. We know the model by the inscription on the back "Rozenn", which is "Rose" in Breton. A true piece of painting, reminiscent of the expressive heads of old men and women in 18th-century France, but also of the beautiful, highly expressionist paintings by Northern masters such as Jacob Jordaens.
Ref: I82SAI5LK7