Art Nouveau Portrait Of Redhaired Lady Watercolor By French Master Brisgard

Signed lower left "G. Brisgard" (Gustave Joseph Marie Brisgand, 1867 - 1944). This stunning portrait of a supposedly young movie star captures the essence of old school glamor in the film industry (perhaps old Hollywood...). Dressed in a beautiful stage gown, she holds an intricately patterned box close to her heart. What treasures could be inside? Perhaps precious jewelry or heartfelt letters from a special someone. Who knows... One thing is certain, this box holds great value to her. In 1993, this painting was entitled “Le Secret”, it was masterly executed in early 20th century in the manner of Pre-Raphaelites with strong flavor of Art Nouveau though. 
Size app.: 71 x 52.5 cm (roughly 28 x 20.7 in), frame is 94.5 x 75.5 cm (roughly 37.2 x 29.7 in). Appears to be in very good pristine condition with minimal wear to painting (slight discoloration by spots), ready to hang. Please study good resolution images for cosmetic condition. In person actual painting may appear darker or brighter than in our pictures, strictly depending on sufficient light in your environment. Weight of app. 3.6 kg is going to measure 7 kg packed for shipment.
Brisgand's, french painter and pastellist. An academic painter, he specialized in portraits of women (pinups) and female nudes. He was the student of Auguste Allongé, then of Tony Robert-Fleury and Jules Joseph Lefebvre, much  influenced by Ingres. He exhibited at the Salon of French Artists from 1893 to 1936. During his first period, he mainly painted landscapes. Then, drawing inspiration from Alphonse de Lamartine, Victor Hugo and Albert Samain, he composed sensual pastels: Extase, Salomé, Tentation,  etc. When Brisgand went to the United States, the reporters of the New World, who liked definitive formulas, hailed him as “the technician of the woman's figure ”. Around 1910 he was invited to the English court, where he painted the portrait of Queen Mary. During his career, he also produced the portraits of Catulle Mendès, Réjane, Polaire, Monna Delza, Jagatjit Singh the Maharaja of Kapurthala, Lucie Delarue-Mardrus, Cécile Sorel, Charlotte Lysès, Gaby Deslys, Michel Georges - Michel, Gabrielle Colonna-Romano, Jane Renouardt, Rose Grane, Stacia Napierkowska, Renée Falconetti, Yvonne Printemps, Paul Durand-Ruel, la Bégum, Jean Desthieux, Renée Dahon, Marlène Dietrich, Jean Harlow, Meg Lemonnier, Yvette Chauviré, Musidora, Lycette Darsonval, Aston Knight, Pierre-Barthélemy Gheusi, Jeanne Provost, General Gamelin and the “Countess of Paris” Isabelle d'Orléans-Bragance. His paintings and illustrations have been published in the journals L'Illustration, Le Figaro Artistique, Les Annales Politiques et Littéraires, Fantasio and Le Théâtre. He was made a knight of the Legion of Honor in 1934. He married in 1901 the actress Jane Sabrier, from whom he divorced, then in 1926 with Catherine Ferber, from whom he also divorced. Several personal exhibitions were devoted to him: in 1911 at the Arthur Tooth & Sons gallery, in 1918 at the Georges Petit gallery, in 1922 in Rio de Janeiro, in 1924 in Egypt, in 1927 at the Gérard Frères gallery and in 1936 at the Raphaël Gérard gallery. An album was published on him in the “Drogues et Peintures” collection, a contemporary art album by Laboratoires Chantereau. He was a member of the jury for Miss France 1936.