Guillaume Seignac

William Hart Smith Collection, New York
Dr. R. E. Guy Smith, Montreal
Private collector (by descent)
Sale, Christie's New York, February 2, 1991, lot 6, illustrated

Academically executed paintings of classically draped maidens in timeless landscapes enjoyed a considerable vogue in the late 19th century.  In England the theme was explored in the work of Frederic, Lord Leighton, John Wililam Godward and Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, and in France by William Bouguereau and Guillaume Seignac, the former’s pupil.  Further informing Seignac’s vision was the era's fascination with the catastrophes of Pompeii and Herculaneum and their subsequent excavations.  Particularly in France, recently translated Roman historical novels fueled the public imagination: The Last Days of Pompeii (Edward George Bulwer Lytton 1834), Ben Hur (Lew Wallace 1880) and Quo Vadis (Henryk Sienkiewicz 1896). The ancient Romans were now seen as living, breathing people rather than dusty historical subjects.  Portraits that mixed elements of real history with mythology appeased the demand for scenes of the classical world, providing an escape from modern life into a more exotic realm. Indeed, the dreamy expression and languid pose of this Pompeian woman perched on a garden ledge represents the artistic ideal of un genie immorti --grace and beauty transformed by nature. The composition recalls those depicted in classical sculptures and vase painting, while the carefully chosen use of color and vivid line signifies a late nineteenth century aesthetic, creating a serene embodiment of female beauty that spans the ages.