Adolf Langhard

signed and dated AD. LANGHARD. 1898 lower left

Very good condition, unlined, stretcher bar mark visible across center, a few faint bullseye areas of craquelure, one by four inch patch on reverse corresponds to right shin of left cupid, frames abrasion along top and upper left edge; under UV: drips of varnish fluoresce in upper left quadrant.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Founded in 1868 by Rudolphe Julien (1839-1907), the Académie Julien was an alternative school to the government-funded École des Beaux-Arts. Unlike the École, there were no entrance exams, fees were relatively modest, and students were given the opportunity to work from live models. By the mid 1880s the Académie Julien was one of the largest art schools in Paris, attracting French students, as well as those from throughout Europe and America seeking its liberated emphasis on talent development versus unforgiving rules and regulations (Damien Bartoli, "William Bouguereau the Teacher," In the Studios of Paris, William Bouguereau & His American Students, Tulsa, exhibition catalogue, 2007, pp. 49-50; Fronia E. Wissman, Bouguereau, Rhonert Park, California, pp. 109-110).

The Swiss-born Adolf Langhard entered the Académie in 1879, and through 1906 participated actively in the Paris Salons. In this period it is likely that Langhard encountered William Bouguereau, one of most celebrated artists of the late 19th century and a frequent presence in both the Salon's galleries and the art classroom. Around 1873 Bouguereau began teaching at the Académie Julien, and in 1882 became director of several ateliers. Bouguereu's goal was to develop in students, like Langhard, the ability to combine perfect art technique with imaginative inspiration. The teacher urged students to master beginning lessons in drawing and color and employ their newly acquired skill with expansive and innovative compositions (Bartoli, p. 50; Wissman, pp. 111-113). 

One of Bouguereau's favorite subjects from the 1880s through the 1890s was his fantasies, in which models based on Classical or mythological subjects were placed in timeless, Italianate landscapes. As with Bougureau's masterwork Jeunesse (fig. 1., sold in these rooms on October 23, 2007, lot 32), Langhard's female model is an allegorical figure, a goddess or nymph, struggling against the influence of frolicking cherubs, one who holds his hands as if about to whisper sly secrets in her ear. As she prepares for her bath, her upheld arms and open smile seem of little resistance to temptation. The stone cistern behind her, with its acanthus-like decoration, further emphasizes the Antique inspiration of the work, while also revealing the maiden's well-modeled form and alabaster skin. The cool white, green, and beige tones of the composition are interrupted by bright bursts of saturated colors of the purple-pink dropped blossoms and the deep red robe, providing visual interest and adding to the romance of the scene. Langhard's composition demonstrates his great skill in presenting an eternal beauty in an idealistic setting, in which fanciful elements are balanced with well-observed, realistic detail. He thus follows Bouguereau's maxim that, above all and "in spite of all that is written to the contrary, an artist only reproduces what he finds in nature—to know how to see and how to seize what one sees—there is the secret of the imagination"(as quoted in Wissman, p. 64).