Symbolistic portrait of a young lady was executed by famous French painter Jean-Jacques Henner (15 March 1829-23 July 1905), who was noted for paintings of nudes, religious subjects, and portraits. For comparison see gallery of Henner´s nude painting in wikipedia under following link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Jacques_Henner

Henner was born at Bernwiller (Alsace). He began his studies in art as a pupil of Michel-Martin Drolling and François-Edouard Picot. In 1848 he entered the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, and took The Prix de Rome with a painting of "Adam and Eve finding the Body of Abel" in 1858. In Rome, he was guided by Flandrin, and painted four pictures for the gallery at Colmar, among other works. He first exhibited "Bather Asleep" at the Salon in 1863 and subsequently contributed "Chaste Susanna" (1865), now in the Musée d´Orsay. Other noted works include: Byblis turned into a Spring (1867), The Magdalene (1878), Portrait of M. Hayem (1878); Christ Entombed (1879), Saint Jerome (1881), Herodias (1887), A Study (1891 ); Christ in His Shroud and a portrait of Carolus-Duran (1896), a portrait of Mlle Fouquier (1897) and The Dream (1900). The Levite of the Tribe of Ephraim (1898) was awarded a first-class medal. Among other professional distinctions, Henner also took a Grand Prix for painting at the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1900´s. He was made Chevalier of the Legion of Honour in 1873, Officer in 1878 and Commander in 1889. In 1889, he succeeded Cabanel in the Institut de France. Henner had numerous pupils among them Dimitrie Serafim. From 1874 to 1889, he organized with Carolus-Duran, what he called "the studio of the ladies" for women were not allowed entry to the École des Beaux-Arts. Some also served as his models. One of them was Dorothy Tennant who later married Henry Morton StanleyHenner died at age 76 in Paris.

Literature: E. Benezit " Dictionary of painters, sculptors, decorators and etchers"(in French), Paris, 1999; Thieme/Becker, Leipzig,1999.

Inscription: signed lower right, bronze plaque with the artist's name mounted to the frame.

Technique: oil on canvas. Original period gold-plated frame.

Measurements: unframed w 7 7/8" x h 9 1/2" ( 20 x 24 cm), framed w 16 1/8" x h 20 1/8" (46 x 51 cm).

Condition: in good condition, cleaned by restorer, original canvas.