Richard Hook Art

Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1891, John Gilmore Wolcott graduated from Harvard in 1914 and continued studies in art with Charles Woodbury. He was active in the Boston art scen...

Jean François Portaels 1818 - Brussels - 1895 Belgian Painter ‘Oriental Girls - Mediants à Tanger, Maroc’ Signature: signed lower right ‘J. Portaels’ Medium: oil on canvas Dimensions: image size 40,5 x 28,5 cm, frame size 67,5 x 56 cm Biography: Jean François Portaels, also known as Jan Portaels, was a versatile Belgian painter born on April 3, 1818, in Vilvoorde and passed away on February 8, 1895, in Schaerbeek. He was celebrated for his genre scenes, biblical stories, landscapes, portraits, and Orientalist subjects. As a teacher and director of the Academy of Fine Arts of Ghent and the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, Portaels significantly impacted Belgian art, becoming a pivotal figure in the Belgian Orientalist school. His works were known for their 'everyday elegance and feminine grace,' and he played a crucial role in influencing the next generation of Belgian artists, including notable figures like Théo van Rysselberghe. Portaels was the son of a wealthy brewer who also served as Vilvoorde's mayor. Showing an early passion for drawing, he was sent to the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels in 1836, where he studied under François-Joseph Navez, a former student of Jacques-Louis David. Navez invited him to his studio, which was renowned at the time, allowing Portaels to refine his skills alongside other talented students like Charles de Groux and Joseph Stallaert. In 1841, Portaels moved to Paris, enrolling at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and studying under Paul Delaroche. He became influenced by the emerging Orientalist movement, which was gaining traction in Paris. In 1842, he won the Grand Prix de Rome, which funded his travels across Italy and other regions, including Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Judea, Spain, Hungary, and Norway. These journeys profoundly influenced his artistic vision, particularly his Orientalist works. Upon his return to Belgium in 1847, Portaels was appointed Director of the academy in Ghent. In 1849, he married Marie Hélène Navez, the daughter of his first teacher. Despite being offered the directorship of the Brussels Academy, he initially declined, opting to preserve his independence. He later accepted a teaching position at the Academy and eventually became its director in 1878, succeeding Eugène Simonis. Portaels was known for his broad range of artistic talents, including history painting, portraiture, and genre art. He was particularly recognised for his Orientalist depictions, often portraying the 'Oriental woman' with distinctive features like arched eyebrows and almond-shaped eyes. His style, marked by charm and elegance, distinguished him from the dominant artistic movements of Classicism and Romanticism. He was a pioneer in monumental art in Belgium, working with Jean Baptiste van Eycken to introduce fresco techniques like water glass painting...

1920's Portrait of an Elegant Woman, Oil Painting, British British School, Early 20th Century Oil painting on wood panel, unframed Board size: 9.25 x 6 inches Quite a stunning portr...

Suchitra Bhosle's "Dreams in Gold" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a nude, dark haired woman, in golden jewelry, relaxing on a bed with a book nearby. About the ...

Suchitra Bhosle's "Somewhere in Denver" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a dark haired woman, brushing her hair, wearing a translucent white shift around her as she...

- Title: *The Model Posing* - Artist: Rosendo González Carbonell - Technique: Oil on canvas - Dimensions: 38.2 x 45.7 in (unframed) ...

Portrait in Kitsch Style, Parisian Belle, Signed Oil Painting By French artist, Mid 20th Century Signed by the artist on the lower right hand corner Oil painting on board, framed Fra...

Suchitra Bhosle's "Girl with Tambourine" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a woman, in all white, holding a tambourine close to h...

Suchitra Bhosle's "Mystic" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a brunette woman, in all white, holding a white sheet behind herself as her gold jewelry glows in the da...

A fine interior oil painting which dates to circa 1870 by listed artist Alfred Stevens. It is a superb British Impressionist painting which depicts the artist in his studio in front ...

Mid century portrait of two children, a young boy and girl in traditional dress, set in a rustic interior by M. Ray Stancliff (American, b. 1925). Si...

Charles Léon Cardon 1850 – Brussels – 1921 Belgian Painter 'A Gentleman and a Maid' Signature: signed top right and dated ‘Ch. Léon Cardon - 1880’ Medium: oil on canvas Dimensions...