Alfred Stevens - The Painter and his Model (1855)
Alfred Stevens (1823-1906), a native of Brussels, spent much of his career in Paris where he was regarded as one of the most important recorders of the bourgeois and aristocratic levels of la vie moderne. In this early work, a young woman leans over the shoulder of an artist, presumably Stevens himself, who is regarding his unfinished canvas on the easel. Hanging in the background of the studio is a Flemish tapestry showing an Adoration scene.
collection: The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland.
source: gandalfsgallery.
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This is one of those paintings that makes me want to visit an art gallery - haven't been to one for ages.
ReplyDeleteI know the feeling ...
DeleteIt looks as though she is about to offer an opinion; I wonder if he asked for it.
ReplyDeleteShe doesn't look too overjoyed, let's say she knows how to hide her enthusiasm very well.
DeleteThe angle of the painting looks odd. It seems to be falling forward, I can't quite see how it is held in place.
ReplyDeleteNow you're mentioning it, it is strange indeed.I googled easels, but I couldn't find this one.
DeleteWhat a delightful picture! Art is all about perspective, so the picture angle isn't too strange - the artist obviously makes sense of it!
ReplyDeleteIt's possible the painting is tilted forward to keep dust from settling on the wet oil paint. There are a lot of materials in the room, clothing, curtains, carpets, all of which give off dust. Tilting it forward would help a great deal in keeping it dust free.
ReplyDeleteAha, smart!
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