‘La Liseuse (The Reader)’ after Jean-Jacques Henner, 19th Century
A beautifully atmospheric study after Jean-Jacques Henner’s celebrated work La Liseuse, depicting a reclining nude absorbed in her book. The artist captures Henner’s signature chiaroscuro, the soft modelling of flesh against a velvety dark ground, creating a mood of quiet introspection and intimacy. Subtle transitions of tone lend the figure an ethereal, dreamlike quality.
Medium & Support: Oil on canvas.
Frame: Period ebonised and gilt frame with original title plaque; light wear consistent with age.
Condition: Stable and ready to hang.
Signature: Unsigned, titled on plaque.
Dimensions:
Framed: approx. 33 × 27 cm
Visible painting: approx. 23 × 17 cm
Notes: A sensitive and well-executed early copy after Henner’s La Liseuse (original held in the Musée Henner, Paris), exemplifying the quiet sensuality and tonal mastery of late-19th-century French painting.