Galerie La Nouvelle Athènes in Paris is presenting a new monographic exhibition featuring 29 small early paintings by Gustave Courtois (1852-1923), a student of Jean-Léon Gérôme and close friend of Pascal Dagnan-Bouveret. The works, which include history paintings such as 'Ulysse et Anticlée' (c. 1873-1875), come from Courtois's studio estate that was dispersed in 2009. The exhibition is both a display and a sale, highlighting Courtois's lesser-known early output alongside his established reputation as a portraitist.
This exhibition matters because it sheds light on a 19th-century French academic painter who, despite failing the Prix de Rome competition, produced significant history paintings that are often overshadowed by his portrait work. By bringing together works from his studio estate, the gallery offers collectors and scholars a rare opportunity to study and acquire pieces from a formative period of Courtois's career, contributing to a deeper understanding of French academic painting and its market.