EISMAN SEMENOWSKY (Émile Eisman-Semenowsky).
Portrait of a woman with a rose in her hair, 1889
Technique: oil on board
Dimensions: 31 × 25 cm; 43 × 37 cm (with frame)
Signature and date: l.d.: Eisman-Semenowsky, Paris 1889
Frame: elegant wooden frame, profiled, gilded and patinated
Intimate, subtle portrait of a young woman framed en profile, against a background of laser-layered purples and grays. The artist has succeeded in combining academic drawing precision with soft chiaroscuro modeling of her complexion and hair, adorned with a bouquet of roses. Delicate, silvery drapery reveals the model's shoulders, and the pastel palette - characteristic of belle époque painting - emphasizes the lyrical, elegant mood of the composition. Portraits of this type are among Eisman-Semenovsky's most highly regarded works, placing him among the leading artists of women's salon portraiture at the turn of the 20th century.
State of preservation: natural fine mesh of craquelure, minor spot rubbing in parts of the background in places; legible painting, ready for exhibition.
Émile (Emil) Eisman-Semenowsky (b. 1857, Kalisz - d. 1911, Paris) - painter of Polish origin, active mainly in Paris. He specialized in elegant portraits of women and scenes with an orientalizing mood, close to belle époque aesthetics. He was valued for his smooth, refined modeling and subtle color palette. He used several signature variants(E. Eisman, Eisman-Semenowsky, Semenowsky). His works regularly appear in private collections and on the auction market in Europe and the USA.
