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This painting was sold at the 2007 Sotheby's Orientalist Sale in Paris 24 October 2007, Lot 137 for 66.250 EUR. It can be found for sale on the internet by Galerie de Souzy, Ref: 5416. Description de l'¦uvre Tous les ingrédients de la peinture orientaliste que Henri Tanoux élabore a partir de 1895, sont présents dans cette oeuvre. L'artiste montre sa prédilection pour les sujets féminins permettant le traitement d'étoffes richement brodées, transparentes et légères, qui dévoilent les formes de coprs juvéniles aux incarnats lumineux. A la volupté de l'odalisque fait écho le luxe des marbres, des tapisseries et des ornements muraux. Cette peinture élégante, évoquant un orientalisme théâtral et fantasmé rencontrait un franc succès auprès du public des Salons, auxquels Tanoux participa régulièrement durant sa vie. Huile sur toile, signée en bas à gauche Tanoux. Exceptionnel cadre d'origine en bois et stuc dorés. Dimensions: 81 cm x 54 cm (soit 112 cm x 86,5 cm cadre inclus) 32 x 21 1/4 in (44 x 34 in frame included) The framed image shown above is from artprice.com where you will find 233 auction results for Tanoux alone, pages and pages of auction history for this artist who produced many paintings that can still be found on the market today. I was in the process of framing the digital images of this painting before I discovered this framed example, which is possibly the original frame mentioned in the Gallery details. While I was looking for the best digital reproduction of this painting, I discovered something curious. |
| How can we explain the differences in these two reproductions that cannot be wholly attributed to lighting or pixelation. The Sotheby's image on the right is, I suspect ,the original work which has been subjected to the unfortunate restoration shown on the left. The beauty of this woman has been defaced forever, only in the original painting does her beauty shine through. It is just a matter of a few small details however critically important details which render her pump cheeks into ugly fat. A rosy complexion into deathly pale. Her seductive eyes into a sad darkness, her sensous lips into comic caricature. The title for my next book, "how to destroy a $100.000 painting" |