19th Century J. Lepage (French) Impressionist Oil on Canvas - The Chess Match

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19th Century J. Lepage (French) Impressionist Oil on Canvas - The Chess Match:
$15000.00

This mid-19th century genre piece seems to have appeared at sale - but no image exists, under the title \"The Chess Match\". It is signed J. Lepage - a few of his other pieces have sold at sale - the most recent being The Musketeers Life in 2004. This piece was purchased from an estate in Webster Groves, MO, where we suspect it was purchased from the estate of the original owner. It retains its original gallery sticker on the back - Healy Gallery, one of the elite galleries existing in St. Louis during its prominent period in the late 19th to early 20th century. The proprietor purchased pieces from major art centers throughout the world - this one clearly from Europe. At first we thought this piece was attributed to J. Bastien Lepage (France, 1848 - 1884). We have found discrepancies in historical accounts of when Bastien Lepage began to sign his paintings as such (accounts agree that it was in homage to his grandfather). We also know that his father was furious when he decided to pursue a career as an artist and moved to Paris. This type of genre painting - all of the J. Lepage signed pieces are genre/historical pieces - were in vogue and touted by the L\'ecole de Beaux-Arts when Bastien Lepage would have enrolled in classes in the late 1860\'s early 1870\'s. There is no information on J. Lepage, so we question (as we are sure others have) if these genre pieces by J. Lepage may be early pieces by Bastien-Lepage completed while studying at the L\'ecole de Beaux Arts in Paris. The man smoking the pipe bears a striking resemblance to Bastien-Lepage\'s father in The Woodgatherer and the portrait Bastien-Lepage did of his father. This is a fair question to ask and we suspect the question has been posed before, but could not find any discussion on the matter.

Speculation aside, this is a masterwork. It is the finest and earliest impressionist chess scene we have encountered - it is packed with detail. The sleeping borzoi is gorgeous. The attention to detail on a relatively small piece is remarkable. The impressionist elements are clear in the painting within a painting and how it spills onto the aubusson upholstered chairs and the dressing screen with a nationalistic color scheme. The mirror is reflecting the back of a bust on a pedestal - this is clearly an artist\'s studio. There is a French empire clock hiding behind the unfinished painting. It almost seems as if the art is closing in on the players. Bastien-Lepage aside, this piece would have been completed at the time or very possibly before \"Impressionism\" was coined to describe Monet\'s work. It clearly has strong impressionist elements. J. Lepage (?) other works also demonstrate impressionistic technique in the brush strokes, movement, and lighting. This one, however, has the strongest impressionistic feel. Whoever this artist is - he is worthy of discussion. It is in its original lemon gilt gold frame and is in remarkable condition. Please look at oxidation on wood and canvas - it is a European stretcher (not seen in photos, but visible as we did not want to remove the backing completely). This piece may have been cleaned, but no major restoration has taken place. The sight measures 13 1/4\" x 10 3/8\"; framed measurements are 17 1/4\" x 14 1/8\". Please read condition report and see photos.

About Buttercup Antiques…

Buttercup Antiques is located in the St. Francois Mountains of Missouri. We specialize in unique vintage items, antiques and art. We are Ph.D. educators and researchers and, as a part-time endeavor, enjoy researching the items thoroughly before putting them on the market. Feel free to contact us with any questions you may have!

About Buttercup…

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Shipping and Return Policy

Buttercup’s Antiques is a green shipper, meaning we will reuse shipping materials whenever possible without compromising the stated condition of the item. If you would prefer new shipping materials be used, this may impact shipping price, but we will be happy to accommodate your request. Just make sure to email us within the two-day handling period after your purchase is processed.

Since many of our items are unique and fragile, we will only accept returns if the item is damaged during the shipping process and we are notified within 24 hours of item delivery.

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