Alexandre Mosses (1793-1837) Portrait of an Elegant Gentleman.

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Artist: Alexandre Mosses (1793-1837) British.

‘Portrait of an Elegant Gentleman’

Signed and Dated 1826,

Oil on Canvas.

Condition: The painting and frame are in good condition and commensurate with age.

This wonderful portrait of a proud elegant gentleman has a real rich imposing presence that makes you want to pull your shoulders back and acknowledge a more respectful time in history. Dressed in his finery of yellow waistcoat, dark green jacket over a white shirt and black necktie, he gazes out beyond the picture space, there is a sense of pride in his posture, a young man with the world awaiting, the blue sky forms the background that accentuates his hair and fashionable mutton chop sideburns which silhouette his handsome face creating a wonderful balance to the upper composition. This portrait was also paired with a matching work of a beautiful young lady, quite probably his wife, and therefore ideally these works should remain together as their story and provenance is as one.

Price: £1200 (This work only).

Alexandre Mosses: Old Master Artist.

The artist was born in 1793, the son of a tradesman in the City of Liverpool. From a very early age Mosses showed promise as an artist as his drawing skills were duly noted. Despite no formal training he went on to become a master draughtsman and colourist. His work would be exhibited in many a prominent venue, and very early on his work could be seen, for example, the Liverpool Academy 1811, where he showed, ‘View of Birkenhead Priory’ a scene from across the river, and no doubt a very familiar subject. His work hangs still in many fine locations, not least the magistrates room, at the police office, Dale Street, and works in the Liverpool Institute. His work of Thomas Branker the then Mayor of Liverpool hangs in the Town Hall, and he also achieved arguably the pinnacle of his career having exhibited at the Royal Academy, London in 1820 with the works ‘Dhama Rama and Munhi Rathama’ two Buddhist priests from the island of Ceylon. The artist died in his hometown, leaving a widow and two children on 14th July 1837. Alexandre Mosses was an excellent portrait painter, and his work is very much admired and rightly appreciated for his contribution to this genre.

Provenance: Brancepeth Castle, County Durham, and Cosulich Gallery.