Pastel Portrait Painting Of A Young Red-haired Woman From The Art Nouveau Period

An antique pastel depicting a delicate portrait of a young woman, dated 1908 in the upper right corner. The figure is shown half-length, slightly in three-quarter view, her face bathed in a very soft light that seems to enter from the left and diffuse throughout the bluish-green background. The complexions are fair, almost translucent, the mouth rosy, the gaze calm and somewhat dreamy: the whole creates a very intimate, almost whispered atmosphere, typical of the Art Nouveau style of the early 20th century. The technical mastery of the pastel is remarkable. The layers are superimposed with finesse, the transitions between shadow and light seamless, as if a luminous veil enveloped the figure. The hair is built up with broad, blended masses of brown, which are then captured by lighter highlights, while the clothing is rendered with long, supple strokes of pastel, where touches of blue and white emerge, catching the light. One truly has the feeling that the light enters the image, glides over the skin, and fades into the background, without ever being harsh: it diffuses, reverberates, and gives the portrait a very successful atmospheric depth. Provenance: Toulouse, as indicated by the framer's label CHAPPE, 67 rue Alsace-Lorraine in Toulouse, on the back of the mount. The work clearly belongs to the Toulouse school of around 1900, in the same vein as that of Henri Martin, Rixens, or Benjamin-Constant, in its treatment of flesh tones and soft atmospheres. The legible date is 1901, which precisely places the work at the heart of the Belle Époque. The pastel is mounted under glass, without a frame. Total dimensions under glass: approximately 47 x 39 cm. Protective backing along the edge. The piece is ready to be displayed or placed in a larger frame. Its condition is good for a pastel of this period: the surface is generally fresh, with some minor dust and irregularities normal for this delicate medium. The reflections visible in the photos are from the glass and actually enhance the perception of light, but the pastel itself remains stable. The back of the cardboard backing shows traces of old dampness, but these are not visible on the front. Antique pastel, original pastel, 1901 pastel, female portrait, portrait of a woman, Art Nouveau, Art Nouveau painting, early 20th-century pastel, Belle Époque, Toulouse school, Toulouse painting, Toulouse, Chappe framer Toulouse, intimate portrait, diffused light, soft light, diffusion of light, luminous atmosphere, luminous halo, pastel on paper, pastel technique, mastery of pastel, modeling of flesh tones, sensitive portrait, dreamy gaze, half-smile, 1900 hairstyle, Belle Époque fashion, elegant young woman, French painting, French art, 1900 art, portrait circa 1900, charming decor, wall decoration, living room decoration, bedroom decoration, antique decoration, classic interior, Haussmannian interior, antique painting, original work, unique work, pastel under glass, unframed, mounted under glass, gift idea, gift for art lover, pastel collection, portrait collection, online gallery, woman with blue ribbon, blue drapery, green background bluish, impressionist touch, symbolist influence, intimate atmosphere, feminine softness, melancholic gaze, Henri Martin, Jean-André Rixens, Benjamin-Constant, Jean-Paul Laurens, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Édouard Vuillard, Pierre Bonnard, Aman-Jean, Eugène Carrière, Toulouse painters, Belle Époque painters, Southwest school, French art 1900, antique pastel portrait, painting for sale, online flea market, decorative pastel, painting for collector, art for decorator, refined portrait, collectible work, authentic painting, unique piece, luminous pastel, play of light, period portrait, Belle Époque pastel.