Alexandre Hesse (1806–1879) - Young Roman woman and young Roman shepherd

Alexandre Jean-Baptiste HESSE
(Paris, 1806 – Paris, 1879)

Young Roman woman at a fountain
and
Young Roman shepherd

Pair of oils on cardboard
The first is signed and located lower right
The second is signed and located on the stone
35 x 25 cm without frame each
54 x 43 cm with frame each
c. 1845

Born in Paris on December 30, 1806, into a family of artists, Alexandre Jean-Baptiste Hesse was the son of the painter Henri-Joseph Hesse (1781–1849), known for his portraits and miniatures.

He received an artistic education from a very early age, and, without any particular vocation, he began by enrolling in the studio of the landscape artist Jean-Victor Bertin in 1820. The following year, he entered the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris under the tutelage of Baron Antoine-Jean Gros, whose influence would later be reflected in the dramatic vigor of his historical compositions.
Hesse made his debut at the Paris Salon in 1831 and exhibited there regularly until 1868. His work demonstrates a style rooted in historical Romanticism, with a taste for theatrical compositions and rigorous drawing, inherited from the Neoclassical tradition. Alexandre

Hesse received several public commissions during the July Monarchy and the Second Empire, notably for the decoration of civil and religious buildings. Among his most notable works are:
- Funeral Honors Rendered to Titian (1832), a historical work acquired by the State and now on display at the Louvre in Paris;
- Sainte Genevieve distributing bread to the poor (1850) for the Church of Saint-Séverin in Paris;
- Murals in Parisian churches, notably Saint-Sulpice and Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais;
- Decorative cycles, notably for the Museum of French History created by Louis-Philippe at the Palace of Versailles, the Senate, the Banque de France, and the Galerie d'Apollon at the Louvre.
In addition to his religious and historical works, Hesse was also a renowned portraitist, appreciated for his effigies of notables, artists, and members of the Parisian bourgeoisie. His style combines classical technique with a certain Romantic sensibility, particularly evident in the treatment of expressions and drapery.

Alexandre Hesse was made a Knight of the Legion of Honor in 1842 and then an Officer in 1868. He died in Paris on August 7, 1879, leaving behind a body of work representative of 19th-century academic art, at the crossroads of late Neoclassicism and institutional Romanticism.

His paintings are now held in several French museums, notably in Paris (Musée Carnavalet, Petit Palais), Bordeaux, Rouen, Dijon, Amiens, and Versailles, as well as in Parisian churches.


The first painting presented is a delicate work depicting a young woman in traditional Italian costume, drawing water from a wall fountain. The scene, seemingly simple, is part of a long tradition of Italianate genre paintings cultivated by French artists in the 19th century, such as Léopold Robert (1794-1835).
The model's graceful posture, her lowered gaze, and the meticulous rendering of the fabrics—embroidery, lace, veils—reflect Hesse's refined aesthetic and his taste for depicting idealized, working-class Italy. The warm palette, the centered composition, and the attention paid to the decor demonstrate an approach that is both documentary and poetic to everyday life in Rome.
This painting is the feminine counterpart to the following work and reflects Hesse's interest in local types, sensitively observed during his stay in Rome.
Related works:
- Costume from the environs of Rome; study of a woman - Paris Salon of 1847 under number 819.
- Italian Woman with a Jug - Ader sale of March 21, 2023, lot 92.

The second painting cited depicts a young shepherd from the outskirts of Rome, seated before an Italian landscape, wrapped in a loose blue cape. Dressed in traditional costume—crossed gaiters, a plumed hat, and velvet trousers—the figure holds a zampogna, a bagpipe, in his arms typical of the mountains of Lazio or Abruzzo. At his feet rests a sheepdog, accentuating the pastoral and peaceful dimension of the scene.
The work, dating from the artist's stay in Italy, testifies to the attraction of 19th-century French painters to ethnographic and picturesque subjects. Inspired by local folk traditions, Alexandre Hesse here delivers a scene imbued with romanticism and contemplation. The young man, with his pensive gaze, embodies the dreamlike, eternal Italy that artists sought in the Roman countryside.
From a stylistic perspective, the painting combines academic rigor and attention to detail: the drapery of the coat, the rendering of textures (wool, leather, stone), and the sculptural modeling of the face reveal Hesse's classical training with Antoine-Jean Gros, while remaining in the vein of pictorial romanticism.
The mention "Rome" under the signature not only identifies the place of execution but also confers on the work the status of an artistic travel souvenir—a human capriccio born from direct observation of everyday life in Rome, intended to appeal to a Parisian clientele with a taste for Italianate art.
This painting illustrates a lesser-known aspect of Hesse's work, more famous for his religious and historical works, and reveals his interest in the human figure in its cultural environment, treated with a sensitivity that is both documentary and poetic.
Related work:
- Peasants near Rome - Paris Salon of 1848 under number 2239.