Red Hair in Art: Gaston Bussière

 Gaston Bussière (April 24, 1862 – October 29, 1928 or 1929) was a French Symbolist painter and illustrator.

He found inspiration in the theatre works of Berlioz (La Damnation de Faust) as well as William Shakespeare and Richard Wagner. He became in demand as an illustrator, creating works for major authors. He illustrated Honoré de Balzac's Splendeurs et misères des courtisanes published in 1897, Émaux et camées, written by Théophile Gautier, as well as Oscar Wilde's Salomé. He also illustrated several works by Flaubert.

Elsa and Lohengrin

Juventa

Les iris

Helen of Troy

Brunhild

Tristan and Iseult

Ophelia

Embrace in Evening Light

Leilah

Red Hair in Art: Teodor Axentowicz

Teodor Axentowicz (13 May 1859 – 26 August 1938) was a Polish-Armenian painter and university professor. He was also the rector of the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków.

Axentowicz was born in Brassó, Hungary (now Brașov, Romania), to a family of Polish-Armenian ancestry. Between 1879 and 1882 he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. From there he moved to Paris, where he started a long cooperation with various journals and started his career as a copyist. He also made numerous travels to London and Rome. In 1893, while he was in London, he married Iza Henrietta Gielgud, daughter of politician Adam Giełgud as well as aunt of Val and John Gielgud of the theatrical dynasty.

In 1895 Axentowicz moved to Kraków, where he became a professor at the local Academy of Fine Arts. He was also active in the local society and cooperated with various societies devoted to propagation of arts and crafts. In 1897 he founded an artistic conservatory for women and soon afterwards became one of the founders of the Sztuka, the Society of Polish Artists.

Throughout his life he had numerous exhibitions, both in Poland and abroad and was awarded many gold medals at both national and international exhibitions.

The red-haired model we see in many of his paintings is Ata Zakrzewska.

Poster for the 2nd exhibition of the Society of Polish Artists "Sztuka" (Ata Zakrzewska)

Wiosna (The Spring, Ata Zakrzewska)

Jesien (Autumn)

Przed lustrem (In front of a Mirror)

Portrait of a Young Woman in Krakòw Costume

Young Lady with Pearls

Rudowlosa (The Redhead)

Portrait of a Lady with a Fur

Rudowłosa 1 (The Redhead, Ata Zakrzewska)

Rudowlosa 2  (The Redhead, Ata Zakrzewska)

Portrait of Sarah Bernhardt in the third act of Tosca

Portrait of Ata Zakrzewska With A Fan

Red Hair in Art: Helene Schjerfbeck

Helena (Helene) Sofia Schjerfbeck (July 10, 1862 – January 23, 1946) was a Finnish modernist painter known for her realist works and self-portraits, and also for her landscapes and still lifes. Throughout her long life her work changed dramatically, beginning with French-influenced realism and plein air painting. It gradually evolved towards portraits and still life paintings. At the beginning of her career she often produced historical paintings.

Schjerbeck's birthday, July 10, is Finland's national day for the painted arts.

Redhaired Girl

Girl Against a Green Background

Fragment

Figure Study