Belle Époque Portrait of a Lady in Open Black Lace Bolero —
In the Manner of Jean-Louis Forain, c.1895 A striking late 19th-century oil portrait of a fashionable Belle Époque lady, exquisitely captured in bold, expressive brushwork. The sitter wears a cream dress overlaid with an ornate, open black lace bolero with elbow-length sleeves, flaring cream under-sleeves, and a dramatic high black velvet choker. Her softly arranged updo, decorated with a black ribbon, frames her delicate features with natural, confident strokes.
Set against a nearly solid background that emphasises her theatrical elegance, this painting powerfully evokes the atmosphere of fin-de-siècle Paris — reminiscent of cabaret performers and café-concert singers of the Montmartre scene in Paris. The loose yet sculptural modelling of the face and simplified setting are stylistically consistent with works by Jean-Louis Forain, a contemporary of Toulouse-Lautrec known for portraying Parisian nightlife with a modern, expressive touch. The painting is unsigned. Very good antique condition; stable paint surface with minor age-related craquelure.
No significant restorations observed under UV light. An original canvas from around 1900 which has not been relined or restored. However, it is evident that the painting has been removed at some time from it’s original stretchers and remounted on to smaller stretchers. Evidence of this can be seen upon inspection of the back of the canvas.
