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Jeune Fille — École Française, Oil on Panel, c. Late 19th Century

École Française · Late 19th Century

A small but completely captivating late 19th century French school oil-on-panel — a portrait of a young girl in a cream blouse and pale blue-green satin dress, her reddish-blond hair falling in soft braids, a single white flower at her side and a posy in her lap. Painted with a finely modelled, almost Bouguereau-like touch — unsigned, as so many cabinet-scale pieces by accomplished French academic painters of the period were. What truly sets this lot apart is the frame: a wildly carved giltwood rococo-revival surround with bold rocaille scrollwork at all four corners and a deep oval reserve cradling the picture. The combination of the tender painting and the heroic frame creates one of those rare moments where a small object has presence way beyond its size — the kind of piece that will draw the eye on any wall it hangs on. 35 × 25 cm. More images available by request.