PAIR OF NAPOLEON III ENGRAVINGS

A pair of engravings of young women bathing, finely enhanced with watercolors. In a rural setting, these young women dry off after bathing in the stream. A pretext for evoking the sensuality of the female body, but the presence of the little dog, a symbol of fidelity, assures us of the purity of these young women. These representations of female nudes are typical of Neoclassicism, with their velvety, unified rendering of flesh. They are reminiscent of some of Dominique Ingres's positions of women in the bath. However, the artist places the scene in a contemporary period, with women wearing Second Empire finery and hairstyles. The acid-colored dresses on the floor are also a reference to fashion under Napoleon III. Their gilded wooden frames are carved with fine water-leaf friezes.

Napoleon III period

Circa: 1860

Dim: W:31,5cm, D:2cm, H:40cm

Condition report: In good condition. light wear of the gilding. Small marks on one of the mats.