Antique 1884 Oil Painting "Le Bouton de Rose" Signed Emil Preuss after Antoine Wiertz – Rococo Gilt Frame

A little romance, a little mischief, and well over a century of history. This 19th-century oil on canvas, Le Bouton de Rose (The Rose Bud), is signed and dated "Preuss E. 1884" in red, lower left, by the German painter Emil Preuss.

It is a finely executed period copy after Antoine Wiertz's 1864 original, which hangs in the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium in Brussels. Preuss is recorded producing several versions of this celebrated composition between the 1880s and 1890s, and examples regularly appear at auction in Europe, the UK and the USA. His distinctive red "Preuss E." signature matches other recorded examples.

A young woman leans from a window and offers a single rosebud to an unseen admirer. Behind the heavy green drapes, a second figure watches with a knowing smile. It is a beautifully staged moment of flirtation, typical of the romantic genre painting so loved in the late 1800s.

The brushwork is confident and accomplished. The flesh tones are soft and luminous, the drapery is rich, and the rosebud itself is rendered with real delicacy. Local artists have remarked on the quality of the oil work, and the paint surface presents beautifully clean.

The canvas sits on a traditional keyed timber stretcher with a centre brace. The reverse carries the gentle age marks and an old pencilled stock number, all part of the painting's story. It is housed in a decorative rococo-style frame in a softly distressed cream and gilt finish, with the honest wear of a long life, including a small settled crack at one corner joint.

Details

• Artist: Emil Preuss (German, 19th century), after Antoine Wiertz (Belgian, 1806–1865)
• Title: Le Bouton de Rose (The Rose Bud)
• Date: Signed and dated "Preuss E. 1884", lower left
• Medium: Oil on canvas, on keyed timber stretcher
• Frame: Rococo-style, cream and gilt finish
• Size: Approximately 86 x 58 cm (confirm canvas or framed size)

A rare chance for collectors of 19th-century European art and Belgian Romanticism, or anyone wanting a striking conversation piece with genuine history behind it.

Available to view at La La Vintage, 67 Semaphore Road, Semaphore SA (next to the Odeon Cinema). We ship Australia-wide and internationally, and shipping quotes are available on request.