Fox Fine Art has dated this French Oil Portrait Painting to the 1870s.
Portrait of a Young Red-Haired Woman
The sitter is believed to appear in another portrait by the artist, suggesting she may have been a favoured model during the later years of his career. Although unsigned, the painting is accompanied by an original auction catalogue clipping relating to its sale at Bruun Rasmussen in 1951, supporting its longstanding attribution.
The work is thought to date from the closing years of Pils's career, when he served as Professor at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. During this period, his portraits display a greater intimacy and refinement, contrasting with the grand religious and military subjects for which he is best known.
Isidore Pils was one of the leading French academic painters of the nineteenth century. He entered the École des Beaux-Arts in 1831, studying under François-Édouard Picot. In 1838 he won the prestigious Prix de Rome with his history painting Saint Peter Healing a Lame Man at the Door of the Temple. Despite fragile health, he completed the traditional residency at the French Academy in Rome, housed at the Villa Medici under the directorship of Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. During his time in Italy he travelled extensively, visiting Naples, Venice and Florence, experiences that profoundly influenced his artistic development.
Provenance
Bruun Rasmussen, Auction 22, 1951, lot 149.
Condition
The paint surface is slightly thin in isolated areas, consistent with age and technique. Otherwise, the work is in good, clean condition and presents well.
Dimensions
Painting: 30 × 23 cm (12 × 9 in.)
Framed: 60 × 53 cm (23½ × 21 in.)
Fox Fine Art has dated this French Oil Portrait Painting to the 1870s.
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Attributed to Isidore Pils (1813–1875) Provenance to 1951 Oil Painting
