Maurice Jean Lefebvre, Portrait of a Lady

1900 - 1920

Sold by Brave Fine Art

Description

An early 20th-century oil on wood depicting a lady wearing a stone-coloured dress with a decorative collar and vest. It’s an unusual portrayal, particularly given the lady’s firm gaze and stoic expression. She looks directly towards us with eyes that could indicate a hidden depth or mystery.

The artist, Maurice Jean Lefebvre (1873-1954), often chose to paint strong female figures and always tried to communicate a heightened sense of the subject’s character. Throughout his career, his style adapted to suit the current trends, but he generally retained a deeper level of expression. For example, during the 1910s, he dabbled with a movement known as Fauvism, where colours were exaggerated to bring further meaning to a subject. Whereas during the 1920s, he adopted a softer, more impressionistic, approach that could be compared to a late Renoir.

Lefebvre was born in Belgium in 1873 and his works are held in private and public collections within Europe and beyond.

The painting is housed within a beautiful reeded giltwood frame with a highly decorative floral inner border.

Signed and dated in the upper right.

Medium: Oil on wood

Size including frame: 34” x 28” / 86cm x 72cm

Year of creation: 1903

Provenance: Belgium

Condition: Artwork in excellent condition and frame with minor losses.

Artist’s auction highlight: £4,082 achieved at Horta, Belgium, in 1999 for ‘Fête Persane à Versailles’.

Physical Dimensions

Height

86cm (33.86")

Width

72cm (28.35")

Depth

6cm (2.36")

Declaration

Brave Fine Art has dated this piece to the 1900s.

Reference Numbers

Sellingantiques Reference

SA652562

Description

“

The artist, Maurice Jean Lefebvre (1873-1954), often chose to paint strong female figures and always tried to communicate a heightened sense of the subject’s character.

Brave Fine Art

Throughout his career, his style adapted to suit the current trends, but he generally retained a deeper level of expression. For example, during the 1910s, he dabbled with a movement known as Fauvism, where colours were exaggerated to bring further meaning to a subject. Whereas during the 1920s, he adopted a softer, more impressionistic, approach that could be compared to a late Renoir.