Louis Adolphe Tessier (1858–1915) Portrait Of A Woman Under A Vine Arbor With A Basket Of Peaches
Artist: Louis Adolphe Tessier
Louis Adolphe TESSIER
(Angers 1858 – Angers 1915)
Portrait of a woman under a trellis with a basket of peaches
Pastel
H. 115 cm; W. 75 cm
Signed lower right and dated 1890
A painter from Angers, Louis Adolphe Tessier trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris in Jean-Léon Gérôme’s studio. His career thereafter remains somewhat unclear but appears to have centered on the city of Angers, where he lived. Awarded an honorable mention at the Salon des Artistes Français as early as 1886, he received further artistic recognition until he became a member of the salon at the turn of the century.
He created portraits and numerous genre scenes in vibrant, lively colors.
Does this magnificent pastel depict someone close to the painter? His wife? There is no indication allowing us to identify the subject, but its quality, its light, and its highly unusual composition make it more of a scene than a portrait. With its vertical composition, this sheet—over a meter tall—is arranged in a descending triangle from the bun to the stone cornice, into which the blouse’s brilliant red is set. Standing beneath a vine trellis bearing ripe grapes, this young woman, who is looking at the viewer, has just plucked a grape from the cluster and is about to bring it to her mouth. Should this gesture, accompanied by the peaches, be seen as an invitation? If we refer to the symbolic language of fruit used in 17th-century still lifes, this interpretation is correct. If not, the painter simply composed his work to convey movement through his model’s action.
Framed by foliage, the young woman, her waist cinched by a brown belt, smiles ever so slightly at the viewer. A white flower resembling an anemone is tucked into her bun, and two more are pinned to her blouse. The small woven wicker basket in the foreground displays her ripe peaches.
Undoubtedly, the viewer is invited to step into the painting—or at the very least to strike up a conversation while remaining on this side of the low wall.
On view in Paris.
(Angers 1858 – Angers 1915)
Portrait of a woman under a trellis with a basket of peaches
Pastel
H. 115 cm; W. 75 cm
Signed lower right and dated 1890
A painter from Angers, Louis Adolphe Tessier trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris in Jean-Léon Gérôme’s studio. His career thereafter remains somewhat unclear but appears to have centered on the city of Angers, where he lived. Awarded an honorable mention at the Salon des Artistes Français as early as 1886, he received further artistic recognition until he became a member of the salon at the turn of the century.
He created portraits and numerous genre scenes in vibrant, lively colors.
Does this magnificent pastel depict someone close to the painter? His wife? There is no indication allowing us to identify the subject, but its quality, its light, and its highly unusual composition make it more of a scene than a portrait. With its vertical composition, this sheet—over a meter tall—is arranged in a descending triangle from the bun to the stone cornice, into which the blouse’s brilliant red is set. Standing beneath a vine trellis bearing ripe grapes, this young woman, who is looking at the viewer, has just plucked a grape from the cluster and is about to bring it to her mouth. Should this gesture, accompanied by the peaches, be seen as an invitation? If we refer to the symbolic language of fruit used in 17th-century still lifes, this interpretation is correct. If not, the painter simply composed his work to convey movement through his model’s action.
Framed by foliage, the young woman, her waist cinched by a brown belt, smiles ever so slightly at the viewer. A white flower resembling an anemone is tucked into her bun, and two more are pinned to her blouse. The small woven wicker basket in the foreground displays her ripe peaches.
Undoubtedly, the viewer is invited to step into the painting—or at the very least to strike up a conversation while remaining on this side of the low wall.
On view in Paris.
12 500 €
Period: 19th century
Style: Art Nouveau
Condition: Perfect condition
Material: Pastel
Length: 115 cm hors cadre
Width: 75 cm hors cadre
Reference (ID): 1819207
Availability: In stock
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