Paris seated lady painting
Alexandre-François Bonnardel (1867–1942)
Oil on cardboard, signed lower right
Circa 1920
An evocative portrayal of romantic nostalgia, this small-scale oil by French painter Alexandre-François Bonnardel radiates with quiet intimacy and technical brilliance. The young woman, dressed in the fashion of the 1830s with puffed yellow silk sleeves and a wide-brimmed bonnet, reclines with casual elegance—her gloved hand resting on a rose-colored cushion, her gaze turned softly toward the viewer. The composition is layered with tonal sophistication, and the backdrop, complete with a small Buddha sculpture, adds a symbolic depth to the work.
Bonnardel, born in Pajay (Isère), was one of the most respected painters of the Lyon School in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He studied at the École des Beaux-Arts de Lyon and later became a professor there, influencing a generation of artists. From 1895 onward, he regularly exhibited at the Paris Salon and earned numerous accolades for his elegant female portraits, landscapes, and historical scenes. His paintings were praised for their graceful drawing, chromatic refinement, and a lyrical, often dreamlike quality.
He is especially known for his series of “femme élégante” portraits—intimate depictions of women that blend realism with a touch of theatrical fantasy. Works such as “Le Chapeau à la Femme” (1905), “Young Woman at her Toilette”, and “Woman with a Mirror” became part of his signature style during the 1920s. His name is recorded in Emmanuel Bénézit’s authoritative dictionary of French artists and in several major references on French painting of the period.
This particular painting, Élégante 1830, may have formed a pendant with “Young Woman at her Toilette”, which sold in Paris in 1988. The present work remains in very good condition, housed in a richly gilded frame adorned with leafy scrollwork typical of French decorative art of the era.
Dimensions (excluding frame): 23 × 17 cm
Framed dimensions: 35 × 29 cm
Provenance: Private French collection
Condition: Excellent
Paris seated lady painting
Alexandre-François Bonnardel (1867–1942)
Oil on cardboard, signed lower right
Circa 1920
An evocative portrayal of romantic nostalgia, this small-scale oil by French painter Alexandre-François Bonnardel radiates with quiet intimacy and technical brilliance. The young woman, dressed in the fashion of the 1830s with puffed yellow silk sleeves and a wide-brimmed bonnet, reclines with casual elegance—her gloved hand resting on a rose-colored cushion, her gaze turned softly toward the viewer. The composition is layered with tonal sophistication, and the backdrop, complete with a small Buddha sculpture, adds a symbolic depth to the work.
Bonnardel, born in Pajay (Isère), was one of the most respected painters of the Lyon School in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He studied at the École des Beaux-Arts de Lyon and later became a professor there, influencing a generation of artists. From 1895 onward, he regularly exhibited at the Paris Salon and earned numerous accolades for his elegant female portraits, landscapes, and historical scenes. His paintings were praised for their graceful drawing, chromatic refinement, and a lyrical, often dreamlike quality.
He is especially known for his series of “femme élégante” portraits—intimate depictions of women that blend realism with a touch of theatrical fantasy. Works such as “Le Chapeau à la Femme” (1905), “Young Woman at her Toilette”, and “Woman with a Mirror” became part of his signature style during the 1920s. His name is recorded in Emmanuel Bénézit’s authoritative dictionary of French artists and in several major references on French painting of the period.
This particular painting, Élégante 1830, may have formed a pendant with “Young Woman at her Toilette”, which sold in Paris in 1988. The present work remains in very good condition, housed in a richly gilded frame adorned with leafy scrollwork typical of French decorative art of the era.
Dimensions (excluding frame): 23 × 17 cm
Framed dimensions: 35 × 29 cm
Provenance: Private French collection
Condition: Excellent