Ref.14575
Eugène ROUSSEAU, Vase with Japanese Picker, circa 1870-1880

This vase was crafted by master glassmaker Eugène Rousseau around 1870-1880. Eugène Rousseau (1827-1890) established himself in 1855 as a merchant specializing in porcelain and earthenware while also engaging in glasswork. His works reflect his interest in Japonism. The decoration of this vase is a testament to that interest. The treatment of perspective, the extreme stylization of cherry blossoms, and the female figure straight out of a Japanese print are all elements of East Asian inspiration. In addition to this surface treatment, the glasswork evokes a mountainous landscape in the background. The entire piece rests on an imposing glass base, with broken lines echoing the cherry tree branches in the upper part. The work of art is signed under the base.

Ref.15551
Gustave VANAISE, Innocence, 1884

This painting titled Innocence was created by Gustave Vanaise in 1884. Gustave Vanaise (Ghent, 1854-Saint-Gilles, 1902) studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent under Théodore Canneel, and later in Brussels. He notably produced historical paintings, portraits, and intimate scenes; many of his works are preserved at the Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent. Vanaise participated regularly in the Paris Salon from 1879 to 1888; in 1884, he exhibited a Young Boy with a Pigeon, which may be this very piece. This work is an allegory of Innocence. Against a backdrop of a luminous yellow cloth stands the figure of a young boy lying on the ground, propped up on his elbows; his youth and nudity, both symbols of innocence, are further emphasized by the dove he holds in his left hand, a symbol of purity. The boy seems about to kiss the bird on the beak. The scene is completed on the right by a low-relief representing a gentle Madonna and Child, set against the background. The artist’s choice of subject and treatment place this work at the boundary between allegory and intimate scene, a genre in which the painter excelled: the presence of the yellow sheet in the background, intended to close the scene, adds to the composition’s closed, intimate character, while the use of symbols and the presence of the Virgin and Child tend to place the work in allegorical painting. In a similar spirit, Vanaise painted The Bacchante, a piece housed at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium. It depicts a woman crowned with ivy lying sensually on the ground, while a young boy resembling the one in Innocence – though likely a young satyr here – plays the flute.

Ref.15696
GODCHAUX – "Panorama of the Cirque de Gavarnie", signed oil on canvas

Oil on canvas signed GODCHAUX in the lower right, depicting a mountainous landscape identified as the Cirque de Gavarnie, located in the French Pyrenees. The composition features a flowing stream in the foreground, framed by rocks and vegetation, with a wooden chalet centrally positioned. In the background, the mountain peaks add depth and structure to the scene. The color palette includes greens, blues, and earthy tones.

Ref.14173
Boris PASTOUKHOFF, Capucines, 1937

Pastoukhoff est formé dans sa Kiev natale avant d’être diplômé de l’Académie des Beaux-Arts de Zagreb en 1920. En 1917, il fuit la Révolution russe et s’impose comme portraitiste de renom en Yougoslavie grâce aux commandes du roi Alexandre et d’autres membres de la famille royale. Installé à Paris en 1931, il séjourne fréquemment à l'hôtel Lancaster au cours des années 1930 et y règle ses factures en donnant plus de 80 œuvres, encore visibles aujourd'hui dans l'établissement. Il y a peint le portrait de la bourgeoisie et de la société mondaine. Il expose dans plusieurs galeries dont la galerie Charpentier en 1937 et Durand-Ruel. Venez en Europe et à Hollywood ; des stars du cinéma comme Marlène Dietrich et Clark Gable lui passent commande. Il expose également ses œuvres en Angleterre à la Royal Academy et à la Royal Society of Portrait Painters. Célèbre pour ses portraits, il réalise aussi des natures mortes vibrantes, dont de nombreux bouquets tels notre toile signée et datée 1937. Pastoukhoff s'éteint à Londres en 1974.