Jean Andre Rixens - Lady with beautiful pearls

Description This is a beautiful portrait of a lady. The lady is wearing a wig and a top hat. It is a historicizing portrait in watercolor by Jean-André Rixens (Saint-Gaudens, November 30, 1846 - Paris, February 21, 1925) . He was a French painter. His father was a master shoemaker. After completing his basic training, he enrolled in 1860 at the École supérieure des beaux-arts de Toulouse [fr]. He paid his tuition there and supported himself by painting commercial signs and making copies of works of art. In 1866, his painting The Death of Alcibiades earned him a grant from the city of Toulouse. This enabled him to enroll at the École des beaux-arts de Paris, where he studied with the military history painter Adolphe Yvon. There he also worked for Goupil &; Cie, where he specialized in reproductions of famous works. He also made woodcuts and portraits for the publisher Hachette. In 1867, he found a position in the studios of Jean-Léon Gérôme and completed his artistic studies. At this time, his declared goal was to win the prestigious Prix de Rome. His first attempt in 1870 was unsuccessful. In 1873, he was awarded second prize for "Super Flumina Babylonis" (By the Rivers of Babylon, depicting the Babylonian Captivity), which was purchased by the government. Shortly afterwards, he visited Florence and Rome. During the 1880s, he gained more widespread recognition and his financial situation improved. Many of his works were popularized by major magazines such as L'Ilustration. He also made fewer historical paintings and concentrated on portraits in a Naturalist style. Eventually, he was able to buy property in Normandy. In 1888, he married Eugénie Poumian. They had three daughters. His reputation was secured when he was awarded a medal at the Exposition Universe le (1889). That same year, he was made a Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur. Along with Ernest Meissonier, Pierre Puvis de Chavannes, and Auguste Rodin, he helped revive the Société nationale des beaux-arts and organize an annual exhibition that would compete with the world-famous Salon. A staunch Republican, he participated in the creation and decoration of monuments erected by the Third Republic. Between 1896 and 1904, he painted three military scenes in the Sale des Ilustres at the Capitole de Toulouse. During the First World War, he took refuge in Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges, where he helped restore the old episcopal palace. At that time, he painted mainly landscapes in an Impressionist style. All of these works are still in the possession of his descendants. After the war he worked on making a monument to honor those from that area who had died in the war. He later returned to Paris and died there in 1925. Your portrait is in good condition