Pierre-adolphe Huas (1838-1900) Young Neapolitan, 1867, Signed And Dated Pastel

Pierre-Adolphe Huas (1838-1900)
Young Neapolitan, 1867,
signed and dated upper left
Pastel on paper transferred to canvas
50.5 x 39.5 cm
In good condition, but a small restoration just above the right eye is visible upon closer inspection.
See detail photograph please
Framed under glass 60 x 48.5 (some minor damages to the mouldings of the frame)

This pastel portrait is remarkable for its accuracy and precision, as is the choice of subject.
First, we are struck by the painter's rendering of the joy expressed by this young Neapolitan, which clearly impressed the artist. The artist also wants to share with us his fascination for Naples, a then exotic destination, which was common among artists of the time. Southern Italy has been a popular destination for the Grand Tour since the 18th century. The artist focuses on the precise rendering of the young man's costume, which forms part of this evocation of distant shores. This is both a portrait and an evocation of a faraway place, as imagined at that time.

Pierre-Adolphe Huas was born on 27 September 1838 in La Rochelle and died on 8 April 1900 in Paris.
He was a painter of genre scenes and portraits, as well as a renowned pastel artist.
He exhibited at the Salon from 1863 onwards. The Museum of La Rochelle has one of his works in its collection.