This early to mid-20th-century self-portrait by Henri-Georges Bréard (1873-c.1939) depicts the artist deep in thought. He’s holding a pipe.Henri-Georges Bréard was an accomplished French painter of landscapes, scenes, still lifes and portraits. Hailing from Paris, he spent his entire life in the French capital, exhibiting at several of its leading venues. He was trained by Henri Royer and François Schommer at the distinguished Académie Julian where the focus was on improving one’s drawing skills with particular reference to the old masters. As such, he became a fine draughtsman and maintained a deep respect for the luminaries of the Middle Ages and Renaissance.His early works include genre subjects, which are reminiscent of the French realist painters. In one of his most celebrated ‘The Newspaper’ from 1914, three elderly ladies sit together in a sparsely decorated interior. One holds a newspaper. The mood is sombre and reflective. The exquisite handling of these scenes earned ...