Late 19th Century Alfred Stevens Oil Painting - Royan, Framed

Details

Description

Alfred Stevens (Belgian, 1823–1906)
“Royan”
Signed lower right: A. Stevens / Royan
Oil on panel
Dimensions: 9 3/4 x 13 … Read more Alfred Stevens (Belgian, 1823–1906)
“Royan”
Signed lower right: A. Stevens / Royan
Oil on panel
Dimensions: 9 3/4 x 13 7/8 in. (24.8 x 35.3 cm)
Provenance:
– Acquired by Thos. Agnew & Sons Ltd., London, 6 November 1964 (Stock no. 4678; Label no. 27430)
– Sold by Agnew’s to J.O. Stanley Clarke, 28 July 1966

Description:

This luminous coastal landscape by Alfred Émile Stevens, titled Royan, captures the refined lyricism that defines Stevens’ mature work. Painted en plein air in the seaside town of Royan, on France’s western coast, the composition features two elegantly dressed women resting under tall coastal pines with the Atlantic visible in the distance. The interplay of light, shadow, and atmosphere evokes both leisure and contemplative retreat—central themes in Stevens’ later landscapes.

Though best known for his portraits of fashionable women, Stevens—like many 19th-century artists—found renewed inspiration in the landscape during his travels in southern France and along the Atlantic. Royan belongs to a small group of works painted during his time there, where the emphasis shifted from interior elegance to open-air serenity.

The present work is signed and inscribed Royan at lower right, and is recorded in the stock books of Thos. Agnew & Sons Ltd., the renowned London art dealer.

Condition:
The painting is in excellent condition, with vibrant color retention and a well-preserved surface. Presented in a period-style gilt frame.

Comparable:
A nearly identical version titled Two Women by the Sea, also signed and painted in Royan, was sold at Doyle in 2004 for $32,863 USD. See less