LOT DETAILS

Materials:

oil on canvas

Size Notes:

canvas: 25 1/2 by 21 1/4 in.; 65 by 54 cm.

Edition:

?Young Woman with a Fan is on a somewhat larger scale than many of Bouguereaus head studies, and the artists highly finished portrait of porcelain skin, pink lips, and downward glance is joined with further work on the placement of hands and positioning of figures gently opening a fan, and loosely sketched dashes and brushy swoops to outline the models costume, while an additional curved line suggests the work possibly would have been painted within an oval. While the artist considered oil studies a critical step in his process, he did not intend them to be seen outside his studio. Yet in its mix of finish and more expressive elements, Young Woman with a Fan reveals Bouguereaus brilliant eye, technique, and personality. It has not yet been determined if the present work inspired a finished painting or if the composition was unfinished and set aside by by the in-demand artist, who routinely worked on several compositions at once. When asked how many paintings he had done, Bouguereau replied I dont know the exact number, but if I said six hundred, I wouldnt be far off. And look, these portfolios are full of all kinds of sketches and studies. Ill never be able to turn them all into paintings; for that Id need many more years than I have ahead of me.??3

Description:

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Markings:

Depending on the models' attributes, physical aspects of several women could be combined in a single, final paintings figure. Through a series of sketches and drawings, Bouguereau would first work out form, light, and shadow before turning to paint a study of the models head. This complex technique was even more remarkable when considering the account of Bouguereaus student, Robert Marc, who remembered the artist painting such studies in as little as four hours.2

Condition:

framed: 32 by 28 in.; 82.5 by 72.3 cm.