Mutine by Guillaume Seignac

Guillaume Seignac
1870-1924 | French 

Mutine

Signed “G. Seignac” (lower right)
Oil on canvas 

A mischievous maiden dominates this garden scene by French Academic artist Guillaume Seignac. Heavily based in the classical, his works bring to life nymphs, muses and Greco-Roman gods and goddesses in ethereal settings based on antiquity. The present work is imbued with the exquisite luminosity of his best works, capturing an idealized female nude within a lush landscape complete with a classical fountain and Grecian urn. Masterfully rendered in the Academic style, Mutine exemplifies the artist’s skill in capturing the inherent sensuality and beauty of his classically-inspired subjects.

Born in Rennes in 1870, Guillaume Seignac began his training in Paris in 1889 at the Academie Julian. He worked primarily as a student of William Bouguereau, whose influence can be seen in both the style and subject matter of his work. Seignac frequently exhibited at the Paris Salon, and his meticulousness and a keen sense of balance and color won him numerous medals, including an honorable mention in 1900 and a third-class medal in 1903. 

Trained in the Academic style of the École des Beaux-Arts, Seignac embraced both the techniques and classical subject matter of the Italian Renaissance masters, whose work enjoyed a surge in popularity in Paris in the late 19th century. As with most French Academic painters, Seignac’s technical skills are masterful, while his color balances and compositional style are on par with the great artists of the Renaissance. During his lifetime, Seignac’s compositions appealed to both traditional art buyers and avant-garde connoisseurs alike, and he enjoyed financial success and critical acclaim.

Canvas: 24” high x 14 1/4” wide
Frame: 35 1/4” high x 25 5/8” wide