Mid 19th Century Self Portrait Attributed to Gustave Courbet, Framed

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A self-portrait attributed to Gustav Courbet (1819-1877), framed in a late-19th-century frame. Faint initials (GC) visible above right shoulder. Oil … Read more A self-portrait attributed to Gustav Courbet (1819-1877), framed in a late-19th-century frame. Faint initials (GC) visible above right shoulder. Oil on canvas laid to board. The back of the panel bears the inscription, "self portrait by Gustav Courbet" (also in French, "Gustav Courbet, autoretraite"). Dimensions of panel: 12.75"w 16"h.. This painting is not listed in the official "Catalogue Raisonne." Many of his works were dispersed and uncatalogued when the contents of his studio were auctioned by the French government in 1875 after he fled to Switzerland to avoid imprisonment by the government of Napoleon III for his part in the 1871 revolution.. This painting was bought at auction in Chicago about twelve years ago and came from a local collection of European paintings. Its previous history is unknown except that it once hung in the Cafe Florian in Venice per inscription on the reverse. Cafe Florian, one of the oldest restaurants in Europe, had an extensive art collection displayed on its walls in the late 19th century.. Courbet's works sell at auction for anywhere from $30,000 to more than 200,000. See less