Lucien Fontanarosa (1912-1975) Portrait Of A Woman With A Coral Necklace 20th Century

Charming, intimate portrait of a reclining young woman wearing a coral necklace, painted by Lucien FONTANAROSA (1912 – 1975). This lovely work showcases his figurative style, poetic sensitivity and subtle palette—hallmarks of the post‑war “lyrical realism” for which he is renowned. Intimate and refined, it belongs among the artist’s most sought‑after pieces.

FONTANAROSA studied at the École Supérieure des Beaux‑Arts in Paris and won the Grand Prix de Rome in 1936. He was one of the leading figures on the French art scene from the 1940s to the 1970s. His work has been shown in several prestigious galleries and museums, including Galerie Bernheim‑Jeune, the Salon de la Jeune Peinture and the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris.

He belonged to the Poetic (or Lyrical) Realism movement founded in the 1930s‑40s by Christian Caillard as a response to rising abstraction and the perceived coldness of certain avant‑garde works. Alongside fellow painters Maurice Brianchon, André Planson, Roland Oudot, Raymond Leguelt and Jules Cavaillès, FONTANAROSA celebrated sensitive figuration, harmonious forms and a contemplative, often melancholic gaze on everyday life.

This oil is painted on panel with a thick impasto and luminous colours. It is presented in its original gilt‑wood frame. Note: very small chips to the gilding, of no consequence.

Framed size: 63 cm × 49 cm

Visible image size: 39 cm × 26 cm

Photographs taken in natural light.
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