Raw Brush
Antique Academic Female Nude Oil Painting Standing Figure Study
Antique Academic Female Nude Oil Painting Standing Figure Study
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A woman stands against a wall of deep brown, her weight on one leg, her hands drawn behind her back, a narrow strip of green floor beneath her feet. The whole painting is built from browns worked close together, so the light gathers on her skin and nowhere else. Her face is left barely finished. That was intended. The exercise was the body and the light falling across it, not the likeness.
This is an académie, a nude painted from the live model. It was the hardest and most fundamental part of a painter's training in the nineteenth century, the thing you had to master in the atelier before you were trusted with a composition of your own. What you are looking at is not a finished picture meant for a salon wall. It is the discipline underneath all of those pictures, the raw study where a painter proved they could translate a living body into paint.
Why We Love It
We will be honest about how this one happened. It did not stop us cold. There was no gasp, none of the instant certainty a showstopper gives you. We almost passed.
Then it would not let go. We kept returning to her. Days apart, we would find ourselves back in front of this figure standing alone in the brown dark, and every time she held us a little longer than the time before. We still can not fully explain it.
That is the rarest quality a painting can have, and the one we trust most. Anything can dazzle you for a minute. Very little earns a second look a week later, and a third the week after that. This one gets you slowly, and then it really gets you. If it's doing it to you right now, you already know.
Key Features:
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Period: circa 1900
- Signature: Signed by the artist. Pencil inscriptions and a sketch on the reverse
- Dimensions: 29.75" x 23.5"
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Condition: Great antique condition, with the honest signs of a life lived over more than a century. The color is bold and deep. There are no tears. There is craquelure throughout, consistent with age, and a few small losses, mostly along the outer edges with some in the lower portion of the painting. Under UV, a few areas show earlier restoration, which is common and expected in a canvas of this age. Light wear to the frame. Please see photos for details.
- The piece will be shipped from Los Angeles
DELIVERY & RETURNS
DELIVERY & RETURNS
A Note on August Shipping
Each August, much of France takes a well-earned pause to enjoy la vie. Some of our French friends and partners who help us source, prepare, and send our paintings have already headed off to do summer properly. A little patience may be required during this time. Consider it a small invitation to borrow a page from the French way of living: exhale. Orders placed during this period may occasionally take a little longer than usual. Pieces already in Los Angeles are unaffected and ready to ship as usual.
If you are purchasing for a time-sensitive project, please reach out before ordering and we’ll happily confirm the timeline for the specific piece.
✈️ Shipping & Delivery
We offer free shipping for all orders, with an expedited option available for those who consider waiting for art a form of exquisite torture. All items are insured and carefully packaged to ensure they arrive safely. Delivery typically takes 5–15 business days, depending on your location.
🇺🇸 U.S. customers: All of our pieces are exempt from import duties and tariffs. We provide the correct documentation to ensure your order clears customs smoothly.
🇬🇧 UK customers: Antique artworks are duty-free and qualify for a reduced 5% VAT at import, not the full rate.
🌍 Customers in other countries: Duties and taxes vary, but original and antique artworks often qualify for reduced or zero import fees. Please check with your local customs office for details. We’re happy to assist and provide any documentation you may need.
If you have questions about shipping or customs, please don’t hesitate to message us at hello@rawbrush.com, we’re here to help.
Most of our paintings will be shipped straight from France unless specified otherwise. While we aim to send them your way as quickly as possible, very occasional delays may occur, as some of our beloved French partners have a certain je ne sais quoi and like to take their time preparing the paintings. You can’t rush good things in life, after all—and we’re talking about antique and vintage paintings here.
Return
We accept returns within 7 days of delivery.
We want you to be obsessed with your new painting. If it doesn’t feel right in your space, you may request a return within 7 days of delivery, as long as it’s returned in the same condition and original packaging. Return shipping is covered by the customer, and the artwork must be packed with great care; damage incurred during return transit may result in a reduced or declined refund. More details HERE
Gift cards are nonrefundable.
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