Portrait of Gabrielle Cot
16″ x 20″, Oil on Canvas
Pastiche, after William Bouguereau
by Charles C. Clear III
Spring Bull Art Gallery, located on Bellevue Avenue in beautiful Newport, Rhode Island, hosted its 29th Annual “Fakes and Forgeries” exhibit from January 18 to February 28, 2020. This highly anticipated exhibit invites artists to create forgeries of famous paintings, and it draws a wide audience each year.
2020 marked my debut in the “Fakes and Forgeries” exhibit, and I chose to recreate Portrait of Gabrielle Cot by the renowned French artist William Bouguereau. Bouguereau, whose work I greatly admire, painted this portrait in 1890. It depicts Gabrielle Cot, the daughter of fellow French artist Pierre Auguste Cot. Bouguereau presented the portrait as a gift to Gabrielle on the occasion of her marriage to architect Zilin.
At the end of the show, I was honored to learn that my painting, Portrait of Gabrielle Cot, won the People’s Choice Award for 2020! The People’s Choice Award is determined by votes from gallery visitors throughout the exhibition. With so many talented artists showcasing their work, I was thrilled to receive such a meaningful recognition from the gallery’s visitors.
The Following Years
In 2021, for the 30th Annual Fakes and Forgeries exhibit, I once again turned to Bouguereau, this time recreating his 1899 painting Reverie, which portrays a young girl seated on some steps. This piece also won the People’s Choice Award, marking a second win in a row.
Though I didn’t have the time to create a new piece for the 31st Annual “Fakes and Forgeries” exhibit in 2022, I decided to submit Portrait of Gabrielle Cot once again. To my delight, it won the People’s Choice Award for 2022, making it three consecutive years of recognition!
In 2023, I participated for the final time in the “Fakes and Forgeries” exhibit. My entry was a 30″ x 17″ oil painting, a replica of Sunlight by Frank Weston Benson, a prominent artist from Massachusetts. I was thrilled to receive the BEST IN SHOW award for this piece.
Charles C. Clear III
cc@oceanstateart.com