Julius Paulsen, At Bedtime

Julius Paulsen, At BedtimeThis enchanting early 20th century interior scene by Danish artist Julius Paulsen (1860 1940) depicts a seated lady brushing her hair while deep in thought. Its entirely natural, nothing staged. Its probably his own wife. Paulsen was a master of controlled expression. He worked in that tricky space between tradition and modernity. Influenced by Rembrandt, fleshy skin tones are laid down with texture and maturity. Everything moves as if our gaze shifts

Frame with small losses and age-related wear

which help to date the painting

The artist has captured the effects of light so majestically

719 achieved for ‘Nature Morte Au Bouquet’

The painting is signed in the lower left and housed within its original gilt frame with foliate decoration and swept corners

and is known to have exhibited at the illustrious Paris salon in 1864

which would make the painting a mark of respect for a lost spouse or relative

The drawing is stamped with a date in the top right and housed within a good later frame

The bush on the right of the couple appears to have grown diagonally with the wind whipping across the open landscape

Michel Bang-Sorensen (1884-1961)

Her refined style is enhanced with a large diamond earring and a rose suggestively placed in the bosom

Kraus painted this towards the end of his life with five decades of experience behind him