Albert Joseph Pénot The Bat Woman Print

A Painting Steeped in Mystery and Symbolism 🎨

Pénot (1862–1930) was a French academic painter whose oeuvre explored the intersection of classical technique and Symbolist themes. Whilst he never achieved the household recognition of contemporaries like Cabanel or Gérôme, his small corpus of macabre femme fatale imagery has secured him cult status amongst collectors of Victorian and Symbolist art.

The Bat Woman exemplifies the late 19th-century European fascination with the "dangerous woman" archetype. The composition is arrestingly symmetrical: a nude female figure suspended vertically, arms raised in a gesture of surrender or invocation, framed by enormous bat wings that span the canvas. Her face, illuminated from below, possesses an eerie, theatrical glow, whilst her body is rendered with the smooth, sculptural modelling characteristic of French academic painting.

Originally exhibited at the Paris Salon des Artistes Français in 1912 under the title Premier miroir (First Mirror), the work languished in a private French collection for over a century before making auction history. In February 2018, Sotheby's London offered the painting with an estimate of £18,000–25,000. It sold for a staggering £137,500, setting a record for the artist and reigniting scholarly interest in Pénot's darker works.

🎨 Why Choose This Art Print?
This isn’t just any reproduction. Our fine art posters use cutting-edge giclée fine art 12-colour printing technology to ensure every subtle hue is faithfully rendered. The smooth matte finish on FSC-certified paper keeps your art print glare-free and eco-friendly, perfect for collectors who care about sustainability and quality alike. What's more, ART SNOB prints every image at over 350 dpi, ensuring ultra-sharp clarity and incredible definition that truly stands out.

🌿 Key Features of Our Fine Art Posters:

• Vivid Colour: 12-colour giclée printing for museum-quality tones.

• Eco-Friendly: FSC-certified, sustainably sourced paper.

• Smooth Matte Finish: Minimal glare for a clean, gallery-like presentation.

• Customisable Sizes: Fits any frame or space.