FEATURES ARCHIVE

Where does your passion for 19th Century European Art stem from?
With a broad based introduction to art, working across the categories of Old Master Pictures, Impressionist & Modern and Victorian pictures at South Kensington, I was given the perfect grounding for 19th Century European Art. I love the diversity of this category, from the number of countries which feature, to the social changes which took place in the century and are reflected in the works of the period. The 19th Century tends to be overlooked but every major city in the world houses a 19th Century collection; a testament to its intrinsic importance in the history of art.

19th Century European Art can be a bit overwhelming as it includes so many artistic movements. Where does one start?
You have to view each work in its own right. However, many people do collect a particular artist or a particular genre, say seascapes or landscapes and the breadth and depth of 19th Century European Art allows for this.

Are there any movements that are particularly popular?
The Barbizon school, which is named after the village of Barbizon in the Fontainebleau Forest, France, where an artist colony gathered, has a keen set of followers as it is perceived to be the start or introduction to Impressionism. The techniques employed by the Barbizon school, such as plein air (outdoor) painting, were crucial to the development of Impressionist art.

Romanticism is perhaps the most misunderstood movement. What is it all about?
Romanticism is about feelings and sentiment; the position of man in relation to nature. In Marinus Adrianus Koekkoek’s painting Figures on a forest path, we see man and nature side by side, nature giving strength to man.

What can you tell me about the painting you are holding?
Well, at first glance, Jean Beraud’s painting M. et Mme. Galin devant le Jockey Club appears to be a spontaneous, busy street scene with passers-by, horses and carriages. On closer inspection we realize this is a far more structured painting than previously thought – the couple, so carefully observed and painted on the right, were in fact the patrons who commissioned this work.

Meticulously executed and detailed almost ‘lifelike’ scenes are often associated with 19th century European works of art. What inpired this characteristic during this period?
Due to the Industrial Revolution and consequently, the dispersal of wealth, Art became accessible to more and more people. With this came a rise in the demand for decorative paintings, much admired for their lifelike depictions. This in turn meant that the artists’ skills, the attention to detail, the finish of works became a pivotal element in the artists success. The formal training via academies, such as the Royal Academy in London and the Salon des Beaux Arts in Paris, ensured that at the heart of every artistic oeuvre stood a thorough technical education. This was not only highly prized during the 19th century but is something we still admire to this day.

If you could step inside a famous 19th century European picture for a day, which would it be and why?
If I were a time traveller, I would want to be transported into an actual situation and see history in the making and for that reason it would have to be Eugène Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People. Furthermore, this great picture stands as a bridge between the Romantic and the Neoclassical, it was highly controversial at the time due to its perceived glorification of liberty but it was later celebrated and remains full of emotion and certainly an unforgettable scene.

Many of the works in your sale are a far cry from the genre scenes people might associate with art of this period. What are your thoughts on this?
What we are seeing is that works such as Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida’s Boats on the beach of Valencia and the Giovanni Boldini, are incredibly ‘modern’. The free brush work and warm colour of the Serolla and the bold, fluid and spontaneous brushstrokes of Giovanni Boldini’s A Midsummer Night's Dream would be at home in any city apartment or townhouse. Sunshine in the Drawing Room by Vilhelm Hammershøi blends wonderfully with contemporary art as the still, stark and clean image reflects for instance the monotones.