Portrait of a woman painted in oil on an antique panel, probably made of poplar or softwood plywood. The work is signed on the back "Henri Arrault – 1925".
Henri Marie Joseph Arrault (1896–1930), a French painter active in the 1920s, was close to several modernist artistic circles, notably the circle of the writer Stendhal. His painting is in a post-impressionist, even late Nabi, vein, with an emphasis on material, color, and volume, rather than on realistic rendering.
The portrait shows a woman's bust, leaning on her hand in a melancholic pose. The palette is limited but warm, the brushstrokes broad and expressive, with a beautiful presence. The deliberately rough, unsmoothed brushstrokes lend a modernist energy to the whole.
TECHNICAL DETAILS:
• Artist: Henri Marie Joseph Arrault
• Period: 1920s
• Materials: Oil on old wood panel
• Finish: Raw pictorial, unvarnished
VISUAL DIMENSIONS:
• Height: 43 cm (16.9 in)
• Width: 34.5 cm (13.6 in)
• Depth: 1 cm (0.4 in)
• Weight: 1 KG
STATE :
Good overall condition with signs of use consistent with age. Some marks and chips on the original frame. Even patina, not cleaned or restored.
REF:
NBR2800725
