French School (c. 1880) - Champagne And Lobster

Oil on canvas. Original painting. Signed with initials and dated 1885.

This 1885 still life is a visual manifesto of the hedonistic Belle Époque, a period when haute cuisine became an art form in its own right. The composition celebrates controlled excess: a cooked lobster, its coral-red shell gleaming like a trophy on the table, is surrounded by a variety of silver-scaled fish that still seem to retain the sparkle of sea salt, symbolizing the absolute freshness demanded by the most discerning palates of fin-de-siècle Paris.

The focal point of refinement is the silver champagne bucket, where the bottle of sparkling wine rests among fragments of ice that the artist renders with a lively, fresh brushstroke. This detail is not insignificant; champagne was the social glue of the grand boulevards and the private salons of Maxim’s. The work captures this moment of gastronomic anticipation, where the grainy texture of the shellfish contrasts with the smooth surface of the frosted glass, evoking a world of endless banquets and a bourgeoisie that found in the pairing of seafood and Reims wine the ultimate expression of its triumph and refinement.

- Image dimensions without frame: 82 x 60.5 cm / 93 x 70 cm with exclusive custom frame.