Max Pechstein

Fishing Boats in the Afternoon Sun by Max Pechstein

William Bouguereau French 1825-1905 Petite Mendiante (Little Beggar) Signed “W. Bouguereau 1880” (center left) Oil on canvas William Bouguereau's faithful images of young women a...

A.E. Herrmann Active in the 1920s Dutch Bali Signed "A.E. Herrmann 1932" (in lower right hand corner) Oil on canvas This enchanting work by Dutch artist, A.E. Herrmann depicts an exotic scene in Bali. In this magnificent painting depicting four Balinese women packing baskets, a vivid background is painted so that it is vibrant with the tropical colors of Indonesia. The stunning melon-hued temple becomes a focus in the painting and evokes a serene and mesmerizing scene of a faraway land. Indonesia and in particular Bali and Java was an extremely important...

Sir Winston Churchill 1874-1965 | British Coast Scene near Lympne Oil on canvas Immediately recognizable as one of the most important statesmen in world history, Sir Winston Churchill also pursued the art of painting for more than 40 years. A particularly fine piece from the statesman’s oeuvre, this masterpiece entitled Coast Scene near Lympne is rendered in fluid brushstrokes and a vivid array of hues. Churchill often leveraged his elite connections to navigate the complex political landscape of the 1920s and 1930s. Many of these invaluable social interactions occurred at the setting of this magnificent landscape painting: the distinguished Port Lympne estate. Owned by Sir Philip Sassoon...

Signed and inscribed "Veduta di S. Girgio Maggiore, e la punta della Giudeca / all Ospedaletto in SS. Gion e Paolo No. 5245 dimandar / Giacomo de Guardi" (en verso) Gouache on paper Italian veduta painter Giacomo Guardi...

Signed and dated "N MAE / 1691" (lower right) Oil on canvas A masterful example of 17th-century Dutch portraiture, this magnificent oil on canvas comes alive with luminous color, dramatic contrast and extraordinary detail. The work was composed by Nicolaes Maes, an artist widely regarded as the most prominent portrait painter of his era in Amsterdam. Fashionably styled, Portrait of a Noble Lady exemplifies the mature style of Maes, executed with the same artistry and attention to detail he imparted on his most important private commissions. This work by Maes comes from the second half of his career and follows in the rich tradition of the great Flemish Baroque painters Peter Paul Rubens and Anthony van Dyck. Like these artists, Maes excels at not only capturing his subjects with a technical perfection but also their inherent elegance and grace. The sitter is draped in luxurious white and red silks and pearls, underscoring the importance and prosperity of his wealthy clientele. She is placed against a dark backdrop, enabling a striking chiaroscuro effect characteristic of the artist’s portraits. Maes’s immense talent for detail and composition is clearly evident. In both palette and proportion, it embodies the somewhat austere style preferred by the artist, which emphasized a painstaking study of the costumes, hairstyles and accessories of his subjects. Such elaborate and highly detailed costuming in portraiture was a fashionable way to show one's wealth in the 17th century, particularly among the emerging class of wealthy merchants. Similar works by the painter can be found in the Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam), National Gallery (London), National Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.), Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York) and Philadelphia Museum of Art, among others. Nicolaes Maes was born in Dordrecht in 1634 to a prosperous cloth merchant. Around 1848, he moved to Amsterdam to study under Rembrandt for several years before returning to his native Dordrecht, where he established himself as a painter of genre scenes and portraits. In the 1650s, Maes traveled to Antwerp where he studied the work of Flemish artists such as Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony van Dyck and Jacob Jordaens...

For Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Impressionism's pre-eminent figure painter, depicting the nude was an exercise in bringing the canvas to life. He once said, “I look at a nude, I see myriads of minuscule shades. I have to find those which will make the flesh on my canvas come to life and resonate.” This compelling portrait by Renoir entitled Après le bain presents the nude figure of a woman in a serene, private moment, absorbed in the task of drying herself after a bath. The artist’s mastery of light and shading is incredible, achieving a sense of vitality in this otherwise ordinary scene. Renoir is celebrated for his figural work, especially his Rubenesque female nudes, however, it was not until the artist was in his forties that he depicted the nude with any frequency. In 1881, Renoir traveled to Italy, where he studied the works of the Renaissance masters and the ancient art of Pompeii and Rome. Upon his return to France, the nude became his favored subject, and he used the motif to combine the spontaneity of Impressionism with the solid modeling of classical painting. Renoir’s medium here, sanguine, a reddish-brown chalk, was used extensively in the Renaissance by Leonardo (who employed it in his sketches for the Last Supper), Michelangelo and Raphael. Its warm hue lends itself well to depicting flesh, and the chalk drawing allows for a greater focus on line, form and texture in a departure from the aspects of color and light that so often preoccupied the Impressionists. Après le bain conveys the impression of arrested motion with perfect naturalness, deftly capturing the moment before the elegant lines of the sitter's form change position. The sitter is almost certainly Gabrielle Renard, the nanny to Renoir’s children and a frequent model for the artist. Gabrielle was the cousin of Renoir’s wife, Aline, and came to Montmartre to work for the family at the age of 16. She developed a strong bond with the family and became a favorite subject for Renoir, appearing in several of his most important works, including his 1911 Gabrielle with a Rose (Musée d'Orsay). When Renoir began to suffer from severe rheumatoid arthritis that would eventually leave him unable to walk and scarcely able to grasp a paintbrush, it was Gabrielle that would assist the artist by positioning the paintbrush between his crippled fingers. Born in Limoges, France in 1841, Renoir began his career as an apprentice to a painter of porcelain wares. He later moved to Paris at the age of 21, enrolling at the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts. It was here, while studying under Charles Gleyre, that Renoir attained a tremendous appreciation for the academic style of painting, a quality that would last throughout his career. This was also when he met Claude Monet and several other classmates, with whom he would later form the Impressionists. Working closely with Monet, Renoir began experimenting with the portrayal of light and its effect on his canvases. The youngest member of the Impressionist movement, an astute Renoir recognized how a subject was constantly changing due to the dynamic effects of light on color. Relying heavily upon his academic training that focused on composition, lines and descriptive details, Renoir distinguished himself among his contemporaries. His intuitive use of color and expansive brushstroke, along with acute attention to his subject, have placed him among the finest painters in history. This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and will be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné of the work of Pierre-Auguste Renoir from the Wildenstein Plattner Institute. Circa 1898 Canvas: 43 1/2" high x 35 1/2" wide Frame: 57 3/4" high x 49 1/4" wide Provenance: Galerie Durand-Ruel, Paris (acquired from the artist on January 25, 1899) J. Pereire Collection, France (1966) Sam Salz, New York (before 1981) Claus Virch, Paris French Compagny, Inc., New York Larry Silverstein, New York (circa January 1987) Le Clos de Sierne Gallery, Geneva Galerie Heyram, Paris (October 1987) Francis Gross M.S. Rau, New Orleans Literature: B. Schneider, Renoir, Berlin, 1957, p. 95 (illustrated in color, p. 83) M. Gauthier, Renoir, Paris, 1958, p. 83 (illustrated in color; erroneously dated '1916' and titled 'Woman in her toilet') F. Fosca, Renoir, L'homme et son obra, Paris, 1961, p. 280 (illustrated, p. 95; erroneously dated 'about 1890' and titled 'After the Bath...

“Devie’s ‘Yellow Celebration’ is a breathtaking testament to the artist’s mastery of minimalism, where simplicity becomes a canvas for a multitude of emotions. In this vibrant master...

Oil on panel, signed and dated 2012. French handmade wooden Delf frame, raised panel with dark gold/bronze patina and gold leaf. Unframed size: 19.09 inches high x 15.75 inches wide. Framed size: 29.5 inches high x 25.125 inches wide x 1.63 inches deep. Sold framed. Stefaan’s tribute to the great French neoclassical painter stems from first seeing Gericault’s horses...

Oil on panel, signed and dated 2001. French wooden frame in ivory with gold leaf. Unframed size: 19.7 inches high x 23.6 inches wide. Framed size: 26.4 inches high x 30.5 inches wide x 1 inch deep. Sold framed. The first Eyckmans’ painting to employ a brighter, golden palette, this everyday kitchen scene explores the differing textures of the objects within. The artist’s love of all things French is exemplified here with antique pottery, a starched linen tablecloth, breadboard and, of course, fruit and favorite cheeses. Note the superb shadowing of the board extending over the table, the detailing in the chèvre and paper wrapping to the left, and the asymmetrical cluster of stemmed Muscat grapes, all illuminated by easterly light. Classical in perspective and execution, but with a more contemporary feel that derives from the use of color and light, this painting marks a transformational point in the artist’s work. This painting is available for viewing at The Elemental Garden...

Oil on panel, signed and dated 2009. French handmade wooden Delf frame, red bolus ground with gold leaf. Unframed size: 11.8 inches high x 19.7 inches wide. Framed size: 21.3 inches high x 29.1 inches wide x 1.25 inches deep. Sold framed. This striking and animated combination of plums with a 15th Century earthenware bowl placed atop a worn plank table hearkens back to the Old Masters while remaining present-day through its geometric composition and use of negative space. Chosen for the pictorial qualities…their shape, color, scale, and satiny skin, a true representation of plums is difficult to capture, as their essence changes and degrades in a matter of hours. As such, the artist focused on including their essential details in the first layer, a practice that is unusual for him. Note the exceptional detailing in the fine variations of color and shape of the fruit, particularly the stems, and the progressive feel attained through the balance of light and color. This painting is available for viewing at The Elemental Garden in Woodbury, CT, the exclusive U.S. representative for the artist. Stefaan...

Oil on panel, signed and dated 2018. Classic French black wooden frame with gold leaf. Unframed size: 19.69 inches high x 19.69 inches wide. Framed size: 25.2 inches high x 25.2 inches wide x 1.25 inches deep. Sold framed. Inspired by the modest works of the French painter, Chardin, this classic composition focuses on the simple, zen-like qualities of the gustatory delights of Stefaan’s locale, where bread and cheeses are freshly made and sold at his favorite outdoor market. Interposed with a large knife and antique glass wine bottle...

Oil on panel, signed and dated 2007. Classic French black wooden frame with raised panel and gold leaf. Unframed size: 18.11 inches high x 14.96 inches wide. Framed size: 25.6 inches high x 22.4 inches wide x 1.25 inches deep. Sold framed. Inspired by 17th century Masters, Davidz De Heem and Willem Heda...