William Hogarth - After [c.1730-31]

William Hogarth - After [c.1730-31], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

In this companion piece to Before [the Seduction], a man stands and hurriedly pulls up his breeches after successfully seducing a young woman. Cap and clothing askew, the disheveled woman implores his discretion. The overturned table and broken mirror symbolise the woman's shattered life now that she has lost her virginity. The dog sleeping in the foreground refers to post-coital exhaustion. 

[Oil on canvas, 15.25 x 13.25 inches]

William Hogarth - Before [c.1730-31]

William Hogarth - Before [c.1730-31], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

This narrative painting describes the moments before a seduction. A young man in red breeches attempts to pull a young woman onto a bed. Struggling, she tries to push him away, dragging her dressing table down with her. Ironically, an open drawer reveals a book on the rules of courtship. Below, a small dog barks, alarmed by the commotion. 

[Oil on canvas, 14.25 x 13.25 inches]

Eugène Boudin - On the Beach at Trouville [1863]

Eugène Boudin - On the Beach at Trouville [1863], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

Boudin, a native of Honfleur, began painting scenes of fashionable beach resorts along the Normandy coast in the early 1860s. In a letter of 1863, the year in which this view of the beach at Trouville was painted, the artist acknowledged the popularity of his paintings of "little ladies on the beach," adding that "some people say that in them there lies a vein of gold to be exploited."

This painting reflects Boudin's interest in capturing the effects of light and atmosphere, from the flag and the crinoline fluttering in the stiff breeze to the cool gray light of the overcast sky. Painted in his studio, the work was likely based on studies made on-site. The artist often annotated such studies with the date, time of day, and wind conditions.

[Oil on wood, 25.4 x 45.7 cm]

Édouard Vuillard - The Album [1895]

Édouard Vuillard - The Album [1895], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

In 1894–95, Thadée and Misia Natanson commissioned from Vuillard a series of five decorative panels known collectively as The Album. The unusual character of these works matched that of the Natansons' Paris apartment, a large open space adjoined by several small alcove areas. Its unconventional decor reflected Misia's taste, which was inspired by the English Arts and Crafts movement. The apartment often served as an alternative office for Thadée's lively avant-garde journal, La Revue Blanche. Among the contributors to this influential publication were Claude Debussy, Léon Blum, Stéphane Mallarmé, and André Gide. The evocative Symbolist qualities of Mallarmé's poetry and Debussy's music find echoes in Vuillard's five panels, which take their name from this painting.

[Oil on canvas, 67.9 x 204.5 cm]

Elihu Vedder - The Pleiades [1885]

Elihu Vedder - The Pleiades [1885], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

[Oil on canvas, 61.3 x 95.6 cm]

F. Luis Mora - Flowers of the Field [1913]

F. Luis Mora - Flowers of the Field [1913], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

F. Luis Mora, also known as Francis Luis Mora (Montevideo, July 27, 1874 - New York, June 5, 1940), was an Hispanic American figural painter. Mora worked in watercolour, oils and tempera. He produced drawings in pen and ink, and graphite; and etchings and monotypes. He is known for his paintings and drawings depicting American life in the early 20th century; Spanish life and society; historical and allegorical subjects; with murals, easel painting and illustrations. He also was a popular art instructor.

[Oil on canvas, 101.6 x 91.4 cm]

Edwin Austin Abbey - King Lear, Act I, Scene I [1898]

Edwin Austin Abbey - King Lear, Act I, Scene I [1898], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

[Oil on canvas, 137.8 x 323.2 cm]