Young Man by the Sea, Hippolyte Flandrin

This is a reproduction of the 1837 masterpiece by Hippolyte Flandrin.  He painted this iconic work while in Rome studying there having won the Prix de Rome in Paris in 1832.  The emperor Napoleon III bought the painting in 1857.  The painting has brought forth commentary and ideas from most art critics since it appeared.  It is Flandrin's most famous work even though executed early in his career.  He was twenty-eight when this was completed and he died twenty-seven years later.  The work is currently at Louvre.

Click here for more information

For sale on eBay

Leonidas at Thermopylai, Jacques-Louis David

This French Neo-classical by Jacques Louis David depicts a scene from Greek history in which the Spartans held the pass against the invading Persians.  David spent almost fifteen years on this painting paying meticulous care to depict the heroic figures according to the classical proportions of ideal beauty.  The timing of the painting was perfect for the portrayal of a defeat as moral victory for it was the year of Napoleon's first abdication.  The original masterpiece is 209.84 inches wide and 154.33 inches high and is in the Louvre Museum.

Click here for more information

For sale on eBay