The Art History Mystery Challenge No. 19 Adolphe Alexandre Lesrel - Les Critiques

The Art History Mystery Challenge

Welcome to our totally disorganized art museum! The challenge is to help us identify all the masterworks in our virtual museum. We'll post a piece of the painting and one clue to get you started. Can you name the artist and the title of the painting?

Pieces of the painting and clues to the artist's identity will be added every 24 hours until we have a winner, then the next painting in our collection will be posted. Feel free to use any resources at your disposal to help in your search. Challenge winners will receive a shiny award badge that we will add below their profile image. You will retain this award until someone else wins the award.

The AHM Challenge is open to all forum members, not just ws oil painters, so join in and have some fun with us!

If you would like to host a AHM Challenge painting; please send a PM to the Challenge Moderator Callie to receive instructions and notice when to post your painting. Be prepared to check in frequently while hosting a challenge!



Clue = Nationality - French

Clue = Born in 1839

How about Alfred Sisley's "Heron with Spread Wings"

Judy

I don't think so, Judy. This looks like it has some people in it. Sisley sure did some beautiful work - I've been enjoying browsing through his paintings. I always get side-tracked looking at all the art and forget all about the AHM painting

This was a really tough one!

Les Critiques (1891) by Adolphe Alexandre Lesrel



Link to a brief bio:

http://www.fineoldart.com/browse_by_essay.html?essay=353

I think you might be right.
This is a tricky one. We'll see what Janet says.

Judy

Wow callie. I don't get to keep this award very long, do i? Congrats!

Watch out for Judy - She almost snuck in there and grabbed it!

Beware of Judy! You never know when she is going to strike again. Judy

Good try Judy!

Callie, you're our new winner! This was a very difficult one. Thank you for providing the link to the bio and the full painting!

A little more about Lesrels (from http://www.historyofpainters.com/lesrel.htm)


Description Adolphe Alexandre Lesrels Academic Classicism Painting style

Followers of this movement were influenced by the high standards of the French Académie des Beaux-Arts,whichpracticed under the movements of Neoclassicism and Romanticism. Academic Classicism attempted to merge both techniques to create the perfect style. It is characterized by adhering to a strict manner of painting, following narrow compositional rules and delicacy of color. The atmospheric effects are sumptuously luminescent.
According to art historian, Walter Pater "To produce such effects at all requires all the resources of painting, with its power of indirect expression, of subordinate but significant detail, its atmosphere, its foregrounds and backgrounds."

Subject matter often used in Rococo art such as light hearted merriment of the aristocracy was fashionable once again.
Adolphe Alexandre Lesrel style favored historical scenes. He was known for historical accuracy with a highly detailed and polished style. His most often used subjects were jovial musketeers, courtly love,. and the frivolity of the upper classes.

Callie, I love this painting of his. Much less stiff then the one I chose. The detail in his paintings are amazing.

I envy his style - the amount of detail makes his work almost photographic - yet he still manages a painterly feel.