Gustave Lino, Portrait of a Child, 1890s, Oil on Canvas, Framed

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MEASUREMENTS (including frame):
Height: 43.3 cm; Width: 34.5 cm; Depth: 5 cm; Weight: 1.279 kg

Item :
Extraordinary oil on … Read more MEASUREMENTS (including frame):
Height: 43.3 cm; Width: 34.5 cm; Depth: 5 cm; Weight: 1.279 kg

Item :
Extraordinary oil on canvas painting depicting a child portrait, executed by the renowned master Gustave Lino (1893-1961), a leading figure in twentieth-century painting associated with the prestigious School of Algiers. Structurally, the painting is enhanced by a magnificent contemporary wood and gilded pastiglia frame from the late nineteenth or early twentieth century, featuring geometric and floral decorations that lend solemnity and importance to the entire composition. The work depicts a half-length girl with a wide-eyed, dreamy gaze turned away from the canvas, wrapped in a characteristic light-colored hat or bonnet that stands out sharply against her dark dress and neutral background. The execution technique is distinguished here by a rich and vibrant application of the paint, where the light caresses the soft features of the face and highlights the melancholic sweetness of the expression, demonstrating a superb mastery of chiaroscuro contrasts and a profound psychological sensitivity in capturing the essence of childhood. The work is signed "LINO" at the lower right by the artist in a vivid red with partial underlining. The attribution to Gustave Lino is supported by a precise historical and artistic context: the work belongs to the artist's earliest and earliest production, a youthful phase strongly rooted in the dictates of academic realism and characterized by portraits executed in a traditional classical style, focusing on the study of light and physiognomy. This primary period differs markedly from the later developments of his career, which saw him initially dedicate himself to vibrant, post-Impressionist landscapes and, finally, in his final phase, to a more two-dimensional, cardboard-like style rich in bright colors, typical of his famous Orientalist scenes and views. An examination of the back reveals a period canvas with a tight weave mounted on an original wooden stretcher with expansion wedges, confirming an aging patina perfectly consistent with this refined and sophisticated early work.

Useful information for evaluating this item:
An analysis of Gustave Lino's official auction price data highlights strong collector interest in both his major historical masterpieces and his portraiture. Record-breaking results for large studio compositions include the painting Place du gouvernement à Alger, an oil on canvas measuring 64.5 x 54 cm, sold by the Parisian auction house Artcurial on 20 December 2006 for €12,000, and the work Scènes de marché, an oil on canvas measuring 54 x 65 cm, sold by Martin-Chausselat on 13 May 2001 for €11,434. These are joined by the seascapes L'Amirauté d'Alger, sold by Drouot on 21 June 2002 for €10,900, and Le porte de l'Amirauté, Alger, sold again by Artcurial on 19 June 2013 for €10,000. Looking instead at the production of portraits and figures similar to the painting in question, the auction results confirm the solidity of the subject: the Portrait d'un Juif Tunisien, an oil on canvas measuring 60.5 x 50 cm, was sold as lot number 38 at Drouot on 20 June 2003 for €1,600, while a work with a compositional and Enlightenment style very similar to this one, the Portrait d'un oriental, executed in 1914 and measuring 35 x 26 cm, was sold as lot number 213 by the auction house Chochon-Barre & Allardi at Drouot-Richelieu on 5 November 2010 for €850. Even unsold lots, such as "La lecture de la Torah," a 1915 oil on canvas measuring 45 x 35 cm, offered as lot 70 by Ader in Paris on April 23, 2025, maintain high estimates of between €1,500 and €2,000. In our opinion, this painting's market value remains firmly in the elite range of €900 to €1,200, an estimate supported by solid international market feedback. Standard auction fees and costs of 25-30% must always be added to the final hammer prices. The sheer rarity of this early piece's stylistic silhouette, combined with the presence of its sumptuous contemporary gilded frame, positions it as a premium offering for the furniture market and institutional collectors.

Artist and/or manufacturer information:
Gustave Lino, born in Mulhouse in 1893 and passed away in Algiers in 1961, was one of the most fascinating and sensitive painters of his generation, renowned for his ability to combine European tradition with the luminous atmospheres of the Mediterranean. Initially trained in Corsica during the First World War, where he learned the rudiments of art from prisoner painters, he developed a highly personal style based on the study of reality and the poetic rendering of reality. During his youth, Lino focused on a rigorous production of classical and academic portraits, which revealed a profound attention to chiaroscuro and the psychological exploration of his subjects. Subsequently, his move to Algeria and his profound artistic partnership with master Albert Marquet revolutionized his palette, pushing him toward plein air painting and the capture of the dazzling light of North Africa. This led him to become a key figure in the renowned School of Algiers and to be praised by intellectuals such as Albert Camus. Over the course of his career, his stylistic evolution led him from the nuanced forms of his maturity to a more graphic, flat, and vividly colored late language. His extraordinary artistic output was celebrated with the awarding of the Grand Prix artistique de l'Algérie, and his works were featured prominently in the most important art salons in Paris, Marseille, and Algiers. Today, widely represented in French museums and private collections of Oriental art, Lino is unanimously recognized for his ability to infuse lyricism into both landscapes and human figures, leaving a solid historical legacy that is constantly rising in international art markets. This piece has an attribution mark,
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