Description:

John Genin (French, 1830-1895), "Spirit of Louisiana", 1884, oil on canvas, signed and dated lower right, "The Charleston Renaissance Gallery, Charleston" label with artist and title on backing, 44 1/4 in. x 22 1/4 in., framed. Provenance: Jay P. Altmayer Collection, Mobile, AL; Neal Auction Company, Oct. 2, 2004, lot 749; Williamson‑LeBlanc Collection, Cornstalk Fence House, New Orleans. Ill.: Pennington, Estill Curtis. Downriver: Currents of Style in Louisiana Painting 1800‑1950. Gretna, LA: Pelican Publishing Company, 1991, p. 132. Note: Known primarily as a portraitist, John Genin developed his painting technique while under the tutelage of renowned Parisian portraitist Leon Bonnat. Genin’s skills at portraiture, as well as the stylistic evidence of Neoclassicism and Romanticism, are particularly evident in his allegorical paintings representing Louisiana. Genin painted at least three of these works, with the important painting offered here likely the penultimate version created in 1884. The artist utilized his adept portraiture skills to portray a goddess (modeled by his second wife) standing amidst a lush, bayou landscape while bare-breasted and adorned with Spanish moss draped from her hair and waist.

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November 17, 2018 10:00 AM CST
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