Alone In The World, Oil On Panel By Duwez Henri-joseph (1810-1884)

Alone in the world
Signature on the left
Presented in a period frame
Provenance: Sold in Paris on 6 February 1895, at Drouot, for 140 Francs Or (Bénézit)
Biography of Henri-Joseph Duwez (also Duwée Henri-Joseph)
Apart from his dates of birth and death and the fact that he was active from 1833 to 1870, very little is known about this talented but now almost forgotten painter. He studied under Jean-François Navez at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels. He was an engraver and painter of historical and genre scenes. His paintings are often in a classical style, but executed with a personal touch. Sometimes a painting is defined by a strong chiaroscuro effect, sometimes Duwez paints parts of the canvas with great clarity and detail, leaving other parts blurred, almost sfumato. By focusing on certain parts of the scene in this way, he created an almost photographic effect (rather like some of the great masters of photography several decades later) that immediately drew the viewer's attention. One large painting, Woman with Tambourine, is in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.