Before the Bath (1872)

Emile Lévy: Before the Bath

Emile Lévy was a French painter, who examined many different angles of his art. He was as well a portrait painter than a pastellist. He realised some scenes of genre and historical themes too. After been the pupil of François-Edouard Picot and Abel de Pujol at the Fine Art School of Paris, he gained in 1854 the First Prize of Rome, on the same year than his classmates Giacomotti and Maillot.

After his stay in Italy, he came back to France in 1859 and devoted himself to the painting in the respect of the academic tradition, while he was friend with Delaunay, Edgar Degas and Gustave Moreau. Waver between genre and historical painting, Levy belonged, like Félix Clément and William Bouguereau to the neo-classic movement that was developing in the 1850's and the 1860's.

This feminine nude composition dives the viewer into a decor both intimate, luxuriant and voluptuous. Emile Lévy showed his talent by the precision of his line and by a remarkable work on the formations, the finish of the form and the flesh-tint. [Galerie Ary Jan]