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José Frappa – Portrait Of A Woman – Oil On Canvas – Signed And Dated 1879
José FRAPPA (1854-1904)
Portrait of a Woman
Oil on canvas
Signed upper right
65 × 54 cm — Framed: 95 × 83 cm
Very good condition
Against a neutral background in shades of gray-brown, the bust of a young woman stands out, her posture restrained and almost hieratic. The face, carefully modeled, is striking in its contained intensity: the dark, direct gaze, slightly slanted, establishes a silent dialogue with the viewer. The luminous paleness of her complexion, enhanced by a touch of pink on her cheekbones, contrasts with her dark hair pulled back in a chignon, a simple hairstyle characteristic of elegant women in the last quarter of the 19th century.
The garment, a black jacket or frock coat with velvety highlights, rendered with a remarkable economy of means, accentuates the gravity of the composition. However, the neckline stands out, a jabot of remarkably fine white lace, whose delicate folds and lightness the painter has carefully captured. At the décolletage, a pendant mounted on a gilt chain—a dark cameo piece—provides the only touch of ornamentation to this resolutely austere outfit. A delicate pearl earring, subtly highlighted, completes the ensemble.
The precise and masterful brushwork reveals an accomplished portraitist, as concerned with psychology as with material accuracy. The work is signed and dated 1879 in the upper right corner with a cursive signature characteristic of the artist.
The setting in which this portrait is displayed deserves special attention. It is a large, beautifully crafted gilt frame, typical of French production in the Napoleon III style. From the center to the outer edge, four superimposed friezes compose the molding: a row of pearls, followed by a frieze of Greek meanders with a rigorous geometric rhythm, then a band of floral motifs in relief, and finally a last frieze of laurel leaves sculpted in gilded stucco whose warm patina lends the whole a certain nobility. This imposing frame, through its architectural presence and the richness of its ornamentation, admirably enhances and amplifies the simplicity of the portrait it encloses.
The artist
José Frappa, pseudonym of Joseph Frappa, was born on April 18, 1854, in Saint-Étienne and died on February 17, 1904, in Paris. The son of grocers, he first worked as a draftsman in a silk workshop in Lyon before entering the École des Beaux-Arts in Lyon, then completed his training in Paris in the studios of Pils, Comte, and Vibert. He exhibited at the Salon from 1876, won several awards, and received the Legion of Honour in 1898.
Although he worked in various genres, Frappa is best known as "the painter of monks," whom he often depicted in comical poses. Remaining deeply attached to his native region, he regularly participated in exhibitions in Lyon. Saint-Étienne paid tribute to him in 1912 by erecting a monument in his likeness in front of the Town Hall and naming the street where he was born after him.
The portrait presented here illustrates a lesser-known but no less accomplished facet of his talent: that of a sensitive portraitist, capable of acutely capturing the character of his subjects, far removed from the humorous vein that brought him fame.
The work can be viewed and collected at the gallery (07240).
Shipping: please contact us for delivery costs within France.
Portrait of a Woman
Oil on canvas
Signed upper right
65 × 54 cm — Framed: 95 × 83 cm
Very good condition
Against a neutral background in shades of gray-brown, the bust of a young woman stands out, her posture restrained and almost hieratic. The face, carefully modeled, is striking in its contained intensity: the dark, direct gaze, slightly slanted, establishes a silent dialogue with the viewer. The luminous paleness of her complexion, enhanced by a touch of pink on her cheekbones, contrasts with her dark hair pulled back in a chignon, a simple hairstyle characteristic of elegant women in the last quarter of the 19th century.
The garment, a black jacket or frock coat with velvety highlights, rendered with a remarkable economy of means, accentuates the gravity of the composition. However, the neckline stands out, a jabot of remarkably fine white lace, whose delicate folds and lightness the painter has carefully captured. At the décolletage, a pendant mounted on a gilt chain—a dark cameo piece—provides the only touch of ornamentation to this resolutely austere outfit. A delicate pearl earring, subtly highlighted, completes the ensemble.
The precise and masterful brushwork reveals an accomplished portraitist, as concerned with psychology as with material accuracy. The work is signed and dated 1879 in the upper right corner with a cursive signature characteristic of the artist.
The setting in which this portrait is displayed deserves special attention. It is a large, beautifully crafted gilt frame, typical of French production in the Napoleon III style. From the center to the outer edge, four superimposed friezes compose the molding: a row of pearls, followed by a frieze of Greek meanders with a rigorous geometric rhythm, then a band of floral motifs in relief, and finally a last frieze of laurel leaves sculpted in gilded stucco whose warm patina lends the whole a certain nobility. This imposing frame, through its architectural presence and the richness of its ornamentation, admirably enhances and amplifies the simplicity of the portrait it encloses.
The artist
José Frappa, pseudonym of Joseph Frappa, was born on April 18, 1854, in Saint-Étienne and died on February 17, 1904, in Paris. The son of grocers, he first worked as a draftsman in a silk workshop in Lyon before entering the École des Beaux-Arts in Lyon, then completed his training in Paris in the studios of Pils, Comte, and Vibert. He exhibited at the Salon from 1876, won several awards, and received the Legion of Honour in 1898.
Although he worked in various genres, Frappa is best known as "the painter of monks," whom he often depicted in comical poses. Remaining deeply attached to his native region, he regularly participated in exhibitions in Lyon. Saint-Étienne paid tribute to him in 1912 by erecting a monument in his likeness in front of the Town Hall and naming the street where he was born after him.
The portrait presented here illustrates a lesser-known but no less accomplished facet of his talent: that of a sensitive portraitist, capable of acutely capturing the character of his subjects, far removed from the humorous vein that brought him fame.
The work can be viewed and collected at the gallery (07240).
Shipping: please contact us for delivery costs within France.
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