Achille Zo Oil on Canvas 19th Century - Great Male Portrait, 1856

Features

Great Male Portrait, 1856

Artist: Achille Zo (1826-1901)

Artwork title: Ritratto maschile

Age: 19th Century / 1801 - 1900

Subject: Portrait/Face

Artistic technique: Painting

Technical specification: Oil on Canvas

Description : Ritratto maschile

Oil on canvas. Signature and date 1856 on the right. The portraited man is wearing clothes that recall the East Europeean traditions but because of the rich colors and the sword he could be an important actor or even an Opera singer. The painting is dated back to the time of the french artist Achille Zo ( from Bayonne, a small village on the Pyrenees that was conditionated by the Basque Country) who traveled around Spain, both in Madrid ( 1856) and Andalusia (1860) realizing for several years painting of hystorical scenes and spanish genre scenes, even if he studies and lived in Paris and Bordeaux. At the and of 1960s he moved to a more orientalistic style. The painting in question had been restored but still with original canvasand it is displayed in a coeval frame.

Product Condition:
Fair condition. Wear consistent with age and use.

Frame Size (cm):
Height: 148
Width: 120
Depth: 10

Artwork dimensions (cm):
Height: 116
Width: 90

Additional Information

Artist: Achille Zo (1826-1901)

Born in Bayonne (near the Pyrenees) in 1826, Achille Zo, after losing his father at the age of 14, initially became an apprentice painter while taking drawing lessons at the Bayonne Académie de Dessin, where he received many awards for his work. He then spent a few years working in a theater decoration studio in Bordeaux before going to Paris in 1846 where he joined Thomas Couture, working in his studio for two years and receiving instruction in academic painting. Unable to earn a living in the capital, Zo had to return to Bordeaux, but returned to Paris in 1852 when he exhibited a painting at the Salon de l'Académie de Peinture entitled Marchands d'esclaves. Following his success, he was able to undertake an extended trip to Spain where he completed sketches as a basis for his future work. He would return to Spain on several occasions, notably in 1856 (Madrid) and 1860 (Andalusia). For a number of years Zo painted historical subjects and Spanish genre scenes; in the late 1860s, Zo turned from Spanish scenes to Orientalism. Disturbed by the siege of Paris, in 1871 he returned to Bayonne where he opened a studio while directing the city's Ecole de dessin. He was also appointed custodian of the Musée de Peintures et des Décors de Théâtre. He no longer exhibited in Paris, concentrating on local shows. His son, Henri-Achille Zo, also became a noted painter and illustrator. Achille Zo died in Bordeaux in 1901.

Age: 19th Century / 1801 - 1900

19th Century / 1801 - 1900

Subject: Portrait/Face

Artistic technique: Painting

La pittura è l'arte che consiste nell'applicare dei pigmenti a un supporto come la carta, la tela, la seta, la ceramica, il legno, il vetro o un muro. Essendo i pigmenti essenzialmente solidi, è necessario utilizzare un legante, che li porti a uno stadio liquido, più fluido o più denso, e un collante, che permetta l'adesione duratura al supporto. Chi dipinge è detto pittore o pittrice. Il risultato è un'immagine che, a seconda delle intenzioni dell'autore, esprime la sua percezione del mondo o una libera associazione di forme o un qualsiasi altro significato, a seconda della sua creatività, del suo gusto estetico e di quello della società di cui fa parte.