An exquisite still life with masterful use of color. Carved frame measures 38.5 x 33 inches. Fernand Toussaint was born in Brussels 1873. He is remembered for his still-lifes and figurative subjects. At the age of fifteen he entered the Academy of Fine Arts of his native city where he studied under Jean Portaels, an innovative and demanding teacher who attached prime importance to the art of drawing. Thus Toussaint received thorough formal academic training before leaving for Paris in 1891 where he completed his studies. There he met the great Alfred Stevens, who was then at the height of his artistic popularity, and with Stevens' guidance, Toussaint formulated his own individual style, combining elegance and fine draftsmanship with a free impressionistic handling of paint. He exhibited widely at most of the major venues in Brussels, and at the Salon des Artistes Francais in Paris, where he received a medal in 1901 and a gold medal in 1929. Fernand Toussaint passed away in 1956.