This work was painted on a Figure 15 format chassis on a prepared canvas that was never relined. It remains in well preserved original condition. This painting has been subject to an expert study of the pigments, the canvas and the brushstrokes. Its chassis is presumed to be the original one. The partially erased manufacturer markings have been deciphered and was made in Paris. Closer examination of the back of the canvas shows the outline of the portrait in reverse from a sketch drawn by the artist prior to painting. Technical image analysis and specialized photography of the painting show that the artist first drew a preliminary version in charcoal, repenting for the head position and the ear shape. It was found beneath by special photography underneath the painted surface. A request for assistance was made with the C2RMF laboratories at the Louvre. Their recommended laboratory concluded upon scientific analysis and stylistic references that work this is indeed a painting by Monet. The work is available for inspection by legitimate parties. 

This small portrait's youthful features point to it dating to circa 1865. The unusual expression of Claude Monet evokes a portrait painted by a colleague with whom he was not on the warmest terms. We see in his harsh glance the grumpy disposition he was often characterized as displaying. This sharply drawn painting with exacting precision reminds of the work of Edgar Degas, although at this stage of analysis it is too early to conclude.

Bernard Buffet was a child prodigy already gaining notoriety at age 13. He studied art braving the WWII Paris Occupation curfew, risking his life to learn how to paint. We can see him later, as a young man in this photograph taken when he was visiting French author Jean Giono in the South of France with his companion Pierre Bergé, who promoted him through his network of contacts as he later did for his next companion Yves Saint Laurent. The years of privation from food rationing can be seen in his thin lanky physique as well as in his post war artistic melancholy. Bernard Buffet is one of the rare artists to widely utilize self-portraits in much of his work, as in his well-known clowns popular among collectors. He was a member of the Insoumis art movement, of painters refusing to submit to the mandates of contemporary modern art, rejecting Cubism, Surrealism and Symbolism. Their work was nonetheless an offshoot of Expressionism, taken with a zest of freedom. 

This recently .acquired oil on wood panel awaits restoration. It has however swept through the past century relatively unscathed. We can see a young Salvador Dali, without the long mustaches that characterized him later in life. Although he was a member of the Surrealist movement it appears that this work was more Dadaist in spirit. He portrays himself dressed up like a traditional Parisian artist. Before arriving in Paris he was thrilled that Juan Miro had told him he was a better  painter than all the artists in Paris put together. We can note that he portrays himself here as the archetype of bohemian artists. He sports a dark suit, embroidered vest, lavalliere necktie and felt hat, much like those worn by the painters in Montmartre. 

This relatively small oil on wood panel was likely painted during Edouard Manet's travels. This can be noted by the presence of a rotating earthly globe on the desk in counterpoint to the background that he took care to illustrate past a heavy curtain. He sits in a circa 1830 French restoration period armchair indicating that this office area is somehow connected to France. It appears to be perhaps upholstered in green velvet, as was traditionally done. Given his garnished hairline it could have been be during his early travels to Brazil in 1849. However, his young age at the time and his letters written at that period make this improbable. It would more likely have been painted on the French or Italian Riviera during his travels to Italy at the age of 21 in 1853. It bears a small signature.

This freshly received oil on canvas was awaiting restoration. It has since been professionally restored by a highly competent specialist. This is an early self-portrait of Impressionist painter Alfred Sisley in his starting years before being trained in art school. This can be ascertained by his clothing, still in London's British fashion with a high buttoning waistcoat and a closed collar starched shirt. We can also note his very youthful traits indicating his age at tthat time. It was not well preserved but only suffered minor accidents. This painting is one of the rare portraits painted by Sisley who almost exclusively painted landscapes. Most of his early production was pillaged and destroyed in his workshop during the Franco-Prussian war making this piece a survivor of those events, He was approximately 20 years-old when he returned to France from London in 1861, to study painting, The back fo the canvas stretcher bears dark pencilled inscription "Paris" indicating it was most likely painted at the time when he started his journey as an artist at the workshop of Gleyre where he met fellow students Monet, Bazille and Renoir. These four painters would found "Impressionism".

While the lower right half of the S and the last three letters are partially erased we can nonetheless see this signature in the same pigments used for the background. This allows us to presume that this is indeed a self-portrait, Sisley's relatively symmetrical facial features preventing easy identification of him as the author by a reversal of his physiognomy. We can note his typical diagonally positioned writing as well as the very curved shape of his letter y.

Many decades separate these two images, however thanks to this much later photograph we an ascertain that this is indeed a portrait of Alfred Sisley due to the characteristic shape of his nose. We will also note his distinctive bearing is similar with his head slightly tilted back for a dignified pose in both instances.

This unique drawing is a rare portrait of Rodolphe Salis, founder of the very first modern cabaret. It was located on Boulevard Rochechouart in Montmartre and opened in 1882. He can be seen here seated at a table in his venue, in the company of artist and model Victorine Meurent and most probably painter Alfred Stevens. His friend Alfred would later transform his own personal townhouse a few blocks south into the second location of the Chat Noir. The Chat Noir was named after a black cat discovered by Rodolphe Salis during the construction of the club. He adorned him with a blue ribbon and made him his Mascot. Here we can see this cat portrayed at his feet. It is presumably the very cat to become world famous by a poster by Steinlen. This work was quickly drawn on a small scrap of paper, possibly from a journal or a theater program, and then highlighted in watercolor. It is especially noteworthy as it is a very rare memento from this period with the sitters being present together before the artist in that location. It is drawn with a degree of talent equal to that of a master and a stylistic study may reveal to whom this work is tributary.

Not only does his strong personality and sturdy physiognomy make it easy to recognize him, he also often portrayed himself smoking with his characteristic cigare set in a pipe. This is also the case in our painted portrait, similarly to this self-portrait drawn 13 years later in 1908.

Here we see a portrait of Jane Avril by Henri de Toulouse Lautrec painted in 1892, about seven years later than our portrait. Her rather unusual features, hairstyle and jawline make her eminently recognizable. We can see that Lautrec candidly shows her with a slightly hardened stance, whereas Emile Bernard focused on her elegant grace, This gritty representation by Lautrec shows that she had grown up and become a star of the Parisian nightlife.

The French painter Emile Bernard attended lessons with Fernand Piestre with classmates Toulouse Lautrec, Louis Anquetin and Vincent van Gogh at Atelier Cormon, 104 Boulevard de Clichy a few doors away from the Moulin Rouge where Jane Avril danced. We can notice that the composition and framing of his 1897 self-portrait seen here is identical to those of our portrait of Jane Avril, The main difference being its reversal due to his mirrored image. Our Jane Avril portrait is an early example of the Cloisonnisme art movement of which Emile Bernard was a pioneer, inspired by stained glass andJapanese Ukiyo-e paintings,. Thus in our portrait shapes are uniformly expressed as flat regions of color within crisp outlines and an absence of details. These considerations lead to the attribution of this work to a very young Emile Bernard.

Painted on a canvas of identical dimensions, this other work can be dated to the same day in 1924 when Marquet painted another of hi works. This other one was kept in his private collection and much later sold by his wife Marcelle. We will note that our painting was brushed from the vantage point of a chair, with the model seated on the floor at a low table. The second work shown here was painted standing up, as can be seen from the perspective most easily noticed by the height of the models head relative to the bannister. The differences in color could be attributed to the slightly later time and different lighting from a higher position in the room.

The French poet Paul Verlaine is usually known for his appearance later in life, when he had lost all of his hair and his romantic misfortunes with Rimbaud and time spent in prison had marked his features tragically. There is a painting by Frédéric Bazille of a young Verlaine with a full head of hair that would never be recognized today had we not had documentation of its existence. This portrait is another nod at his changing appearance. He was still married and had not yet suffered the hardships to come. His pose is from above at a slight an angle, making his nose appear a bit longer than in other portraits. His clothing is masterfully rendered in its folds and shading and the light in the background is beautifully painted.

At the back of the wooden panel on which this portrait was painted, a handwritten note was found. It was left facing the wall and is partially erased. It is a note addressed to Charles Landelle and written by Alfred de Musset. We can see here his handwriting compared an earlier example of his writing to Hetzel below. That was at a time he was more youthful and brimming with hope, not the somber notes of our own example. However, it can be established that it was indeed penned by Musset. 

We can see a number of similarities between our portrait and one dating back to 1837 by Luigi Calamatta almost 15 years earlier. In the earlier drawing ribbons are masking her hair curls. We can see that she had gained some weight as well as had carried the burden of caring for an ailing Chopin for quite a few years. 

This painting is quite a rarity as it shows the sitter sleeping in the artist's studio still wearing an artist's smock that he had presumable put on over his clothes to stay clean during a lengthy visit. Given his fame and presence alongside George Sand in Paris society we can expect that he knew may painters well. Eugene Delacroix was possibly his best friend, although it is unlikely that this work could be of his hand. We have been able to identify the sitter as being the great composer Frederic Chopin, we still must establish the author. 

This painting signed Charles Gomien and dated 1830 is a portrait of pianist and composer Franz Liszt at age 28. He is portrayed with his hand resting on the back of a chair, looking at the artist. At this age he was one of the very first superstars, stirring the hysteria of droves of fans with his virtuoso piano playing and romantic compositions.  

Ludwig von Beethoven is portrayed here at age 26 by French painter Jean-Charles Traversier circa 1797 one year before he became deaf. This portrait shows him gazing into the distance, possibly seeking inspiration. In later renderings his facial expression changed dramatically and these more severe poses are those best remembered. This painting was stylistically influenced by the period of the French Revolution which Beethoven held in great esteem. He is represented as an idealistic 'sans culotte' dreaming of a better world. This translated into an outspoken admiration for Bonaparte when still a Revolutionary General, giving the Napoleon Symphony. However when Napoleon crowned himself Emperor, Beethoven was enraged and immediately undedicated his 3rd Symphony.

Modigliani was photographed here by Jean Cocteau in 1918 with his friends Pablo Picasso and André Salmon in front of a Montparnasse café. We can notice that at this age he had a quite rare particular feature, a salient vein on his forehead that can even be detected at a distance from a faded photograph. 

Comparing these images we analyzed the angular patterns on the foreheads made by irregular veins. The sitter for the painted portrait had two forehead veins, the photograph only shows one. To match the veins on each image  we had to flip the photo horizontally to turn it into a mirror image. The veins match perfectly. This shows that this work was necessarily painted from a mirror reelection, and is therefore a self-portrait.

This photograph taken by Man Ray shows Picasso with his son Paul, from his first mariage with Olga Khokhlova, a dancer from the Russian Ballet. The pre-war Parisian bohème community was a tight knit milieu where most artists and writers knew one another, whether they got along or not. We can assume that the rapport between Corbellini and Picasso was friendly enough, as Picasso's son was sufficiently present with them to pose for Corbellini. 

Another photograph circa 1935 shows Paul Picasso's features in better detail. Although a few years older than in our portrait, he is readily recognizable. His unique appearance could not be so perfectly matched were it another sitter. His identification grants our portrait an interesting historiographic view of how closely linked the artistic community of Montmartre and Montparnasse was in the 30s. 

It is relatively easy to identify the sitter as Rudolf Nureyev as he had rather unusual facial features. A well-known means of morphological identification is the shape and size of ear cartilage. We note here that they are identical, as are the bone structure, eyebrows, forehead, nose, mouth and chin. This work was signed and dated 1964. The signature appears to be in Hebrew and we can note that Nureyev visited Israel in 1963. It may be a work by Romanian-born Israeli fantastic realist painter Baruch Elron. This attribution remains to be confirmed.

A theater actor quite familiar with the stage in the French city of Lyon, Jean-Marie Collot d'Herbois participated actively in the French Revolution and was briefly appointed President of La Convention, the first Revolutionary government, During a stint governing Lyon as Joint Proconsul with Joseph Fouché, he settled scores with his former royalist enemies, Fallen out of favor he was arrested in 1796 and deported to forced labor in the Cayenne prison colony where he died of the yellow fever. 

We can notice by comparing the person to the right side of the painting to an engraving of Lord Byron's father, that this sitter is indeed his father. What is even more unusual is that he is wearing a French honorary decoration in the buttonhole of his coat lapel. This points to his having received this honor in France, perhaps for some sort of paramilitary operations such as those which had earned him the evocative nickname of Captain Mad Jack Gordon. This may also lend credence to the theory that perhaps Lord Byron had followed in his father's footsteps and served his England by penetrating international high society's literary salons and traveling to meet with political figures such as General Paoli in Corsica. This might also cast light on his role in the Greek revolution against the Ottoman Empire. Byron used his personal funds to finance the Byron Battalion, much in the way today's intelligence operatives deploy assets and mercenaries to intervene in theaters of war.

Molière was a notoriously homely person and many of his portraits were attempts to remedy his somewhat ungracious appearance. This may be why he chose to wear a mustache most of his life, to distract the eye of onlookers. Another rare portrait shows him without that adornment. It was painted almost 20 years later, in 1658, by Pierre Mignard. We can see them compared to one another. His face is slightly thicker, which happens often in middle age, and each artist painted the eyes a different shade. Eye color often can change in different lighting conditions, but also throughout the ages artists tended to paint eyes a variety of colors according to the effect sought by a painting. The wigs are also of a different color. In our portrait he is quite young but also dressed for appearances in court at Versailles. In the later portrait, painted during his travels, it was a casual intimate pose. While there has been much controversy about what he really looked like, due to the modified aesthetics of many of his portraits, here we can see they both have identical head shape, chin, mouth, eyebrows and bone structure.

We can see that Vernet is approximately 40 years old in our portrait, painted circa 1830. His posture and bearing are similar to other portraits and drawings from the same period. The two images here show him at a similar age.

We can see in this other pose of Jeanna Bauck painted by Bertha Wegmann that her hair is again lit from above, in a similar halo effect. The artistic style is also quite similar, pointing to a work by the Danish artist. We will notice that these two women painters were ahead of their time, even if they didn't mingle with the French Impressionists who were maybe too bold in the presence of women? Their styles are of the northern schools, as they worked closely together under one another's influence.

A portrait of Sarah Churchill painted in 1700 by Godfrey Kneller is conserved at the National Portrait Gallery in London. While it was painted some twenty years before the our portrait, and the sitter is an elegant young woman rather thant a stately older gentleman, there are stylistic resemblances between the two works. Customarily, poses were the sole prerogative of portraitists, who would place the sitters in ways they would be best portrayed. In these portraits we can see the same person at work, bringing the sitters to carry themselves with precise gestures. In each painting the arms participate as lines of tension that lend structure to the composition, Also, their hands are very expressive each in their own way, as if entering into a dialog. When exercised so strongly such stylistic characteristics are unique to Godfrey Kneller.

It was usual for the most celebrated portraitists to have their apprentices or assistants participate in their works, painting the background or fabrics. The main artist would focus on the face and hands, leaving lesser elements to others. However, in these two portraits we can see that the artist instead rapidly brushed the clothing himself, using the lines and sharp angles of the folds to capture and release the eye of the viewer. His depiction of the clothing was simplified for several reasons, one being that in so doing the contrasted shapes could better participate in the composition. Another was that Kneller was avant-garde and brought focus to the interior presence of the sitter by avoiding to belabor their surroundings. We will not see similar graphic power utilized in the clothing of other portraits from the period, pointing to the same authorship by Sir Godfrey Kneller. 

We can see here another portrait of this Duke by the same painter kept in the galleries of the Royal Palace of the Dukes of Savoie. The Duke is more casual in this artistic pose representing his rule over his realm. We can note the same gold necklace of great symbolic importance for the family of Savoie.

We can recognize the Marquis de La Fayette clearly from a portrait by Jean-Baptiste Weyler painted 12 years later, in 1789 during the French Revolution. We notice the same slight build, olive-shaped cranium and pointed chin, long straight nose, high cheekbones, backwards sloping forehead and otherwise identical features. He is portrayed in uniform upon the fall of the Bastille, when he was appointed Commander in Chief of the French Revolutionary National Guard. He wears a similar wig and his sloping shoulders are surmounted by gold-fringed épaulettes.

Theater participates in our transition to another life in a different world, bringing to life new characters in imagined situations of alternate realities. Stage theater is one of the rare arts still very much alive, with streaming media and the cinema unfortunately turning to commercial values instead. This 1845 painting by Lous Joseph Bahin from our collection was presented at the Paris Salon in the Louvre. It portrays playwright François Ponsard, a dissenter against the Romantic school who founded 'l'École du bon sens" translated as the School or common sense".