A. Constantin – Portrait Of A Woman With A Feather Boa – Oil On Canvas – Signed – Late 19th Century

A. Constantin (active late 19th century)
Portrait of a Woman with a Feather Boa
Oil on canvas
Signed upper left a. Constantin
65 × 54 cm — 94 × 83 cm (framed)
Important period frame in gilt and stucco wood
Very good condition

In three-quarter view, her gaze slightly averted towards the viewer, an elegant woman is depicted in evening dress: a white bodice with a low neckline gathered in lace, a gold belt, and a generous white feather boa draped over her shoulders. A double row of pearls adorns her neck; a ring on her right hand, brought back to her chest, completes this discreet yet refined adornment. Her chestnut hair in tight curls, a hairstyle fashionable in the years 1885–1895, frames a face with fresh complexions, rendered with delicacy. The background, enlivened with touches of grey-blue and a sky-blue cushion, bathes the composition in a soft, hazy light, resolutely Belle Époque in spirit.

The work demonstrates a solid mastery of society portraiture, in the tradition of the academic portraitists of the Third Republic. The execution reveals an experienced painter: the brushwork is lively, the paint well-applied, and the composition is presented with ease and naturalness.

Presented in an exceptional period gilt and stuccoed wood frame, in excellent condition. Unusually large—nearly fifteen centimeters wide at the molding—it is entirely covered with a richly detailed relief decoration: abundant acanthus leaf scrolls, volutes, flowers, and cartouches sculpted at the corners and in the center of each crossbar, enhanced with vibrant and even gilding. This type of opulent frame, more commonly associated with large academic compositions or commissioned portraits for bourgeois or aristocratic homes, lends the whole a remarkable presence. It constitutes a collector's item in itself and testifies to the importance the original patron placed on this portrait.

The signature warrants further research: it does not correspond to the documented work of Auguste-Aristide Constantin (1824–1895). A portraitist with the same name, perhaps active at the Salon or in the provinces between 1880 and 1900, remains to be identified.

The work can be viewed and collected from the gallery (07240).
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