Paul Gauguin | Young Man with a Flower behind his Ear, 1891

Originally in the collection of the great modern master Henri Matisse, Paul Gauguin's striking and evocative portrait of a young man, clad in a pink European blouse and loose cravat, with the native adornment of a small white tiaré blossom tucked over his left ear, is among the first paintings the artist completed after arriving in Tahiti in 1891.

The forthright charm of this painting stems from Gauguin's sensitive characterization of his sitter, a handsome and thoughtful man of whom the artist was clearly quite fond.

Paul Gauguin | Petit Breton à l'Oie, 1889

This important depiction of the Breton countryside is one of the pictures that Gauguin completed in 1889, when he was working in Pont Aven.

Executed with lush colors and linear undulations that presage his pictures of the tropics, this composition presents an exoticized depiction of the region, interpreted through the stylization of Gauguin’s late Symbolist aesthetic.

The romanticizing of the natural world in this picture is indicative of Gauguin's desire to escape the trappings of industrialized France in the months prior to his departure for the South Pacific. | © Sotheby's

Guillaume Seignac | Reunited, 1918-1919

This work was probably executed by Guillaume Seignac (French Academic painter, 1870-1924) in 1918-1919.

It represents two women symbolizing France and Alsace.

Seignac painted another composition in 1914, representing "Belgium, France and England before the German invasion" (Sale, Paris, April 22nd 2009, lot 87).

Peter Demetz, 1969

Born in Bolzano, Italy, awarded🎨 sculptor Peter Demetz lives and works in Ortisei (BZ).

He graduated from the Art Institute of Ortisei, he was an apprentice in the laboratory of master Heinrich Demetz.

In 1993 he obtained the master sculptor diploma.

Since then he has participated in group and solo exhibitions in Ortisei, Milan, Vail/ Colorado, Leipzig, Lichtenstein, Vienna, Florence, Bolzano, Lecce, Istanbul, Palma de Mallorca and Rome.

Bryan Larsen, 1975

Bryan Lamont Larsen Jr. is an American realist painter, born in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Larsen was inspired by the figurative works of the Pre-Raphaelite painters, William-Adolphe Bouguereau, Lawrence Alma-Tadema, and other nineteenth century European painters.
He was educated at Utah State University and at the Grand Central Academy Summer Intensives.

Larsen's work includes architectural elements and figurative works, with themes emphasizing beauty, innovation, aspiration, and optimism for the future.

John Singer Sargent (1856-1925)

John Singer Sargent was an American artist, considered the "leading portrait painter of his generation" for his evocations of Edwardian Era luxury.

The Edwardian Period corresponds to the French Belle Époque period. Despite its brief pre-eminence, the period is characterised by its own unique architectural style, fashion, and lifestyle. Art Nouveau had a particularly strong influence. Artists were influenced by the development of the automobile and electricity, and a greater awareness of human rights.

Léon de Smet (Belgian painter, 1881-1966)

Léon de Smet è stato un pittore Belgo🎨 ed il fratello minore del pittore Gustave de Smet (1877-1943), anch'egli famoso pittore.

Nacque a Gand, in Belgio, nel 1881. Ha ricevuto la sua formazione artistica presso la Royal Academy of Art. Insieme a suo fratello, apparteneva ai cosiddetti pittori "Sint-Martens-Latem", un gruppo di artisti che erano attivi nella zona con lo stesso nome.

Lo stile di De Smet è caratterizzato da un tocco impressionista e pointillista.

È rinomato per la sua capacità di costruire una composizione con pennellate rapide, brevi e sottotono, mantenendo sempre l'equilibrio.