Art

French school, 17th Century Portrait of the Marquise de Grugieres Oil on canvas 26.1/4 x 21.5/8 in. (66.7 x 54.8 cm.) In a gilded composite frame, later production (possible early 1...

Paolo De Matteis (Naples, 1662 - Naples, 1728) attributed to Christ Delivering the Keys to St. Peter (Handing over the Keys) Oil on canvas 88 x 138 cm./ Framed 98 x 149 cm. The pro...

Beautiful oil on canvas, study of a horse in stable.Housed in a gilt frame signed and dated 1886 lower right The size being 60 x 44 cm. whilst overall 75 x 60 cm Provenance: The contents of a Cheshire Country House. Presented in very good condition. HENRY FREDERICK LUCAS LUCAS...

Circle of Thomas Hudson (1701-1779) British. 18th Century Bust Portrait of a Lady, Oil on Canvas, Inscribed on a label verso, canvas: 30" x 25" (76.2 x 63.5cm). frame: 30 x 25 in...

Titan Fine Art present this exquisite portrait, that formed part of a historic collection of an English aristocratic family, Lord and Lady Sandys at their magnificent baroque and Reg...

A fine 19th century oil painting of a chestnut hunter "Light heart" in a stable by Claude Lorraine Ferneley Oil on canvas size of painting is 63.5 x 48.5cm ...

Studio of Jan Brueghel the Younger 17th century Antwerp school Oil on oak panel, h. 37 cm, w. 49 cm Tortoiseshell veneered baroque style frame...

Early 19th Century Country Landscape in the Style of William Morris Hunt Beautiful original oil painting of a county road landscape with fence and hen and chicks is charming and engaging. Painting is in the style of William Morris Hunt (American, 1824 - 1879) who lived and painted in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. William Hunt is known for his Barbizon School style landscapes, genre and figure painting. Medium: Oil paint on pressed board. Unsigned. Unframed. Condition: Good Board size: 12.25"h x 9.25"W William Morris Hunt One...

The Close of Day English artist, second half 18th century circle of Thomas Gainsborough (British 1727-1788) oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 24.5 x 29 inches provenance: private colle...

Moses Strikes Water from the Rock Dutch school, XVII century. Workshop of Jacob de Wet (Haarlem, 1610-1675). Technique: Oil on oak wood panel, composed of 3 horizontal panels. In this evocative work, Moses stands in a cave, gathering the Israelites. There was no water to drink or for their cattle. The people were discontented in the desert. But Moses and Aaron listened to the voice of God. With Aaron’s staff, Moses struck the rock, and water gushed forth abundantly, quenching their thirst. Jacob de Wet’s workshop specializes in subjects from the Old and New Testaments. The recognizable rectangular format, simple compositions, and clear narratives define his style. The interplay of light and shadow, reminiscent of Rembrandt, adds timeless allure. The characters’ costumes, with their large hats and turbans...

Portrait of a Lady (female saint?) Italian School, 17th century oil on copper, framed frame: 9 x 8 inches board: 5 x 4 inches provenance: private collection condition: very good and ...

‘St. James’ Day’ by Richard Morton Paye (1750-1820). This very large and important 18th century oil on canvas depicts a diverse crowd of Londoners at an oyster stand on a summer’s ev...

S. Paolo Fuori Le Mura (Vedute della Basilica di S. Paolo fuor della mura) Etching, 1748 From...

Follower of FRANCESCO MAZZOLA, known as IL PARMIGIANINO (Parma, 1503 - Casalmaggiore, 1540) Cupid Carving His Bow (as the triumph of love and desire over reason and knowledge) Oil o...

Portrait of a Gentleman in Ruff Collar and Robes Dutch School, 18th century oil on canvas laid over panel, unframed board: 28.5 x 24 inches provenance: private collection condition: ...

The sacrifice of Princess Polyxena Pietro Berrettini, known as Pietro da Cortona (Cortona 1596 - Rome 1669), circle of Oil on canvas 33 x 49 cm., framed 50 x 65 cm. The superb work...

Pair of scagliola sculptures - Roman figures. Italy, 19th century. 51 x 26 x h 118 cm (left) - 41 x 28 x h 118 cm (right). Entirely in scagliola. Condition report: In good general...

The painting depicts James (Jacques) Dalbiac, his wife Louise (ne de la Porte) and their five children, James, Charles, Louise, Marianne and Martha in the ornamental gardens of a grand country estate. The extensive gardens extend into the distance with gardeners working in the background and figures strolling through the avenues of trees. A peacock and peahen can be seen on the wall to the left and a potted orange tree to the right. Louise Dalbiac holds an orange taken from the orange tree, aluding to the family's faith and their loyalty to the protestant King William of Orange and their adopted country. The Dalbiacs were wealthy London silk and velvet merchants of French Huguenot origin who had fled France at the end of the 17th century to escape persecution for their protestant faith. England offered safe refuge and their skills and industriousness allowed them to establish one of the most successful businesses in London's Spitalfields which became a new centre of the silk trade, effectively leading to the collapse of the once dominant French silk industry. Both sons, James and Charles followed their father and Uncle into the family business, successfully growing the family's fortune and each going on to own their own country estates. A conversation piece is a genre of painting used to describe group portraits of families and friends, often depicted with their servants and family pets and set within an elegantly furnished interior or the garden of a grand country house. They were a celebration of the intimacy of family relations as well as a sign of status, property and the power of succession. The informality of conversation pieces grew popular in 18th century England, allowing the sitters to present themselves in a more relaxed pose, perhaps engaged in intellectual conversation or showing their talents or interests. In this present portrait, the Dalbiacs are shown richly dressed and and at leisure in a grand country house setting, conveying their success and cultural and social aspirations. Charles Philips (c.1703–1747) was an English artist known for painting a number of portraits and conversation pieces for noble and Royal patrons in the mid-eighteenth century. He was the son of portrait painter Richard Philips...

A fine oil painting with cherubs and a cart of fruit by French artist Leger Cherelle (1816-1867). Cherelle was born in Versailles, France, a...

The attribution to Jan de Bisschop has been confirmed by the RKD with the following comment: "We base this attribution on the dark washes, the subject represented and the monogram". ...

Jean-Marc Nattier (Paris, 1685 - 1766) and his workshop Portrait of Charlotte de Hesse-Rheinfels Oil on canvas : h. 44.09 in, w. 38.19 in 18th century carved giltwood framed Fra...

The Resurrection of Christ Follower of Tiziano Vecellio (Pieve di Cadore 1490 - Venice 1576)   Venetian school of the late 16th/early 17th century Oil on canvas 108 x 78 cm. - Frame...

Adoration of the shepherds, Cercle of Ambrosius Francken, Early 17th century Antwerp school Oil on oak panel: h. 55 cm, w. 43 cm (21.65 in x 16.93 in) 17th c. ebonized and moulded f...

Travellers in a Country Landscape circle of Jacques d'Arthois (Flemish 1613-1686) oil on canvas, framed frame: 13.5 x 18.5 inches canvas: 11 x 16 inches provenance: private collectio...

Classical Still Life of Flowers English artist, 20th century signed oil on board, unframed dated 1980 board: 14.5 x 11.5 inches provenance: private collection, UK condition: overall ...

Portrait of a young British Girl, in her white dress with Pink Sash. Choosing to acquire an 18th-century portrait of a young girl by English artist John Russell is an opportunity to...

This painting depicts a pastoral scene that is attributed to the artist Jan Frans Soolmaker, an artist known for his Italianate landscapes and scenes that often feature equestrian and Arcadian elements. The painting is not signed but is attributed to Soolmaker, relating it to a known signed work by the artist that was sold at Sotheby’s London in 1999. The scene is suffused with the warm glow of a setting or rising sun, casting a soft light that is characteristic of Soolmaker’s landscapes. It shows a shepherd guiding a group of cattle across a shallow stream, with the animals taking center stage in the composition. The animals are rendered with careful attention to their forms and the play of light on their bodies, which is a hallmark of Soolmaker's work. The landscape is composed of a rocky terrain with trees and shrubbery, creating a sense of depth and natural beauty that invites the viewer to explore the scene further. The background suggests a vast, open landscape with distant mountains, which adds to the Italianate feel of the painting. The sky is dramatic, with clouds catching the light of the sun, contributing to the overall serene yet dynamic atmosphere of the work. The provenance of the painting is notable, having been in the possession of significant historical figures such as Swedish Prince Fredrik Adolf, and later The collection of Pär Ulmgren, The collection of Gösta Stenman, and Engineer and politician Gustaf Henry Hansson. Potential buyers have the option of choosing between a newly made gold frame or an older brown frame, which allows for personalization in how the work is presented. Soolmaker’s work is often compared to that of Dutch painter Nicolaes Berchem, whose style he emulated. Soolmaker's landscapes reflect a similar sensitivity to light and composition, making his works sought after for their beauty and historical significance. Despite the smaller body of work left by Soolmaker, due to his short career, his paintings are valued for their craftsmanship and the legacy of the artist’s brief but impactful contribution to the Dutch Italianate landscape genre. Information: Jan Frans Soolmaker (Flanders 1635‑1685) Shepherd with Sheep...

Nicolas de Largillière (Paris, 1656-1746) Portrait of a lady, circa 1695 Oil on canvas (relined): 76 x 61 cm Framed: h. 97 cm, l. 82 cm To be included in the forthcoming catalogue ra...

Narcisse Diaz de la Peña (1807–1876) was a French painter associated with the Barbizon School, a group of artists who focused on naturalistic landscape painting. He was born on Augus...

This lovely British Old Master oil painting is by noted Exeter born artist Thomas Mogford of Exeter. Painted in 1834 it is a portrait of a white hunter horse i...

English painter (18th century) - Horses at the river. 53 x 70 cm without frame, 67 x 86 cm with frame. Antique oil painting on wood, in a carved and gilded wooden frame. Condition...

Classical Still Life of Fruit in Basket with other objects Italian artist, 18th century oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 24.5 x 33 inches provenance: private collection, UK condition:...

Portrait of a Lady Italian Old Master, 17th century oil on copper, framed framed: 8.75 x 7.75 inches painting: 5 x 4 inches provenance: private collection, England condition: very go...

Jacob Ferdinand Saeys (Antwerp 1658 - Vienna 1726) and workshop Architectural capriccio with a coastal view at sunset and figures oil painting on canvas 60 x 91 cm., With frame 75 x...

This widely referenced pair of paintings is one of Francesco Conti’s most successful productions. Francesco Conti is one of the finest painters of 18th-century Florence. In the shimmering colors typical of his best work, he represents two opposite characters from the Bible: the virtuous Judith, whose courage saves her people by cutting off the head of the invader Holofernes, and the depraved Salome, who under the influence of her mother becomes responsible for the beheading of the prophet John the Baptist. The artist's talent lies in his ability to treat these two macabre subjects with a light touch, presenting us with two attractive women who seem to twirl with glee amidst the severed heads... 1. Francesco Conti, the “Florentine Tiepolo” Francesco Conti is a major painter of the Florentine school of the 18th century; he can even probably be considered, along with Giovanni Domenico Ferretti (1692-1768), as one of the two main painters of the second quarter of the Florentine 18th century. Born in Florence in 1682, Francesco Conti began his apprenticeship in the workshop of Simone Pignoni (1611 - 1698), a disciple of Francesco Furini; he was also influenced by the Venetian Sebastiano Ricci. A protégé of Marquis Riccardi, he accompanied him to Rome between 1699 and 1705, where he frequented Carlo Maratta's studio. He settled permanently in Florence in 1705. Painted exclusively on canvas, the majority of his work consists of religious subjects, altarpieces or private devotional works. It is likely that Conti himself was a devout churchgoer, as evidenced by his affiliation, in the third decade of the eighteenth century, to the Society of the Disciples of Saint-John-the-Baptist, and his entry, at the end of his life, into the fraternity of the Venerable Society of the Holy Trinity. In Florence, Conti worked for the Grand Duchy's major patrons, including the last Medici - in particular Giangastone and Annamaria Luisa, Electress Palatine - and confirmed his role as a reference painter under the Lorraine Regency, as master of the Public Drawing School, which was closely linked to the institute responsible for the manufacture of semi-precious stone mosaics, then located in the Uffizi complex. Matteo Marangoni, an art critic of the early 20th century, praised his "brushwork full of elegance and true spirit of the 18th century", pointing out that Conti was "probably one of the best colorists" of the Florentine school of his time. These two characteristics led the art historian Paolo dal Poggetto to nickname him the "Florentine Tiepolo". 2. Judith and Salome, two biblical characters opposing each other These two paintings form a pair presenting two biblical episodes, which have in common the depiction of a "heroine" carrying the severed head of a man. While the Salome episode might at first appear to be an echo of the Old Testament story of Judith, each character is the exact opposite of the other. Judith, whose story is told in the Book of Judith, is a beautiful young widow from Bethulia who, accompanied by her maid, went into the camp of the invading Assyrians and won the confidence of Holofernes, the general commanding the enemy army. Invited to a great feast on the fourth evening, she took advantage of Holofernes' drunkenness to cut off his head. “She went up to the bedpost near Holofernes’ head, and took down his sword that hung there. She came close to his bed, took hold of the hair of his head, and said, “Give me strength today, O Lord God of Israel!” Then she struck his neck twice with all her might, and cut off his head. Next she rolled his body off the bed and pulled down the canopy from the posts. Soon afterward she went out and gave Holofernes’ head to her maid, who placed it in her food bag...

This superb Dutch Old Master portrait oil painting is attributed to circle of Nicolaes Maes. Painted circa 1670, the painting is of a lady, sat by a classical fountain with statue an...

Giovani Ghisolfi (Milan 1623-1683), attributed / workshop View of classical architectural ruins with Pythagoras pretending to return from Hades Oil on canvas, cm. 70 x 84 In frame c...

Coastal view at sunset with fishermen and boats Atelier of Charles François Grenier De Lacroix, called de Marseille (Marseille 1700 - Berlin 1782) Oil on canvas 50 x 62 cm. - in fra...

In this masterly painting, Francesco de Mura presents the meeting of Herminia and the shepherds, a famous episode taken from the seventh canto of Torquato Tasso's Jerusalem Delivered...

17th century German portrait of the wine merchant Caspar Roemerskirchen at the age of 26 in 1628, attributed to Gottfried de Wedig This highly decorative portrait depicts the 26 yea...

A pair of 18th century Italian landscapes with classical ruins and figures, circa 1750. Circle of Giovanni Panini (1691-1765) Thomas Agnew and Sons, Lo...

Classical Still Life of Fruit in Basket with other objects Italian artist, 18th century oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 24.5 x 33 inches provenance: private collection, UK condition:...

Anthony Eugène RENOUARD Cour-Cheverny, 1835 - Paris, 1921 Peasant scene, young woman giving bread Painting, oil on canvas Signed lower left Painting: 24...

A fine painting after George Romney of The Hon.Reverend Anchitel Grey (1774 – 1833) as a Boy The painting depicts a boy aged about ten, standing, turned to the left, gazing at the spectator, wearing a blue coat, and white linen collar, a spaniel with its paws on his chest. Shoulder length brown hair. Trees in the background on the right, distant horizon with cloudy sky on the left. The sitter was the third son of George Harry Grey, 5th Earl of Stamford (1765-1845) and Lady Henrietta Cavendish-Bentinck (died 4th June 1827), daughter of the 2nd Duke of Portland...

This intensely expressive figure is a preparatory study for "Arab Market on the Tocria Plain", a painting exhibited at the 1865 Salon and now in the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Lille. 1...

Pieter Frederick Van Os (1808-1892) A greyhound in a landscape Signed 'P. F: Van Os. f 1825' lower left Oil on canvas Canvas Size - 46 x 39 in Framed Size - 51 x 44 in Provenance: C...

This vigorous drawing has long been attributed to Polidoro da Caravaggio: The Abduction of the Sabine Women is one of the scenes that Polidoro depicted between 1525 and 1527 on the façade of the Milesi Palazzo in Rome. However, the proximity to another drawing inspired by this same façade, kept at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, and to other drawings inspired by Polidoro kept at the Musée du Louvre, leads us to propose an attribution to Biagio Pupini, a Bolognese artist whose life remains barely known, despite the abundant number of drawings attributed to him. 1. Biagio Pupini, a Bolognese artist in the light of the Roman Renaissance The early life of Biagio Pupini, an important figure of the first half of the Cinquecento in Bologna - Vasari mentions him several times - is still poorly known. Neither his date of birth (probably around 1490-1495) nor his training are known. He is said to have been a pupil of Francesco Francia (1450 - 1517) and his name appears for the first time in 1511 in a contract with the painter Bagnacavallo (c. 1484 - 1542) for the frescoes of a church in Faenza. He then collaborated with Girolamo da Carpi, at San Michele in Bosco and at the villa of Belriguardo. He must have gone to Rome for the first time with Bagnacavallo between 1511 and 1519. There he discovered the art of Raphael, with whom he might have worked, and that of Polidoro da Caravaggio. This first visit, and those that followed, were the occasion for an intense study of ancient and modern art, as illustrated by his abundant graphic production. Polidoro da Caravaggio had a particular influence on the technique adopted by Pupini. Executed on coloured paper, his drawings generally combine pen, brown ink and wash with abundant highlights of white gouache, as in the drawing presented here. 2. The Abduction of the Sabine Women Our drawing is an adaptation of a fresco painted between 1525 and 1527 by Polidoro da Caravaggio on the façade of the Milesi Palace in Rome. These painted façades were very famous from the moment they were painted and inspired many artists during their stay in Rome. These frescoes are now very deteriorated and difficult to see, as the palace is in a rather narrow street. The episode of the abduction of the Sabine women (which appears in the centre of the photo above) is a historical theme that goes back to the origins of Rome and is recounted both by Titus Livius (Ab Urbe condita I,13), by Ovid (Fasti III, 199-228) and by Plutarch (II, Romulus 14-19). After killing his twin brother Romus, Romulus populates the city of Rome by opening it up to refugees and brigands and finds himself with an excess of men. Because of their reputation, none of the inhabitants of the neighbouring cities want to give them their daughters in marriage. The Romans then decide to invite their Sabine neighbours to a great feast during which they slaughter the Sabines and kidnap their daughters. The engraving made by Giovanni Battista Gallestruzzi (1618 - 1677) around 1656-1658 gives us a good understanding of the Polidoro fresco, allowing us to see how Biagio Pupini reworked the scene to extract this dynamic group. With a remarkable economy of means, Biagio Pupini takes over the left-hand side of the fresco and depicts in a very dense space two main groups, each consisting of a Roman and a Sabine, completed by a group of three soldiers in the background (which seems to differ quite significantly from Polidoro's composition). The balance of the drawing is based on a very strongly structured composition. The drawing is organised around a median vertical axis, which runs along both the elbow of the kidnapped Sabine on the left and the foot of her captor, and the two main diagonals, reinforced by four secondary diagonals. This diamond-shaped structure creates an extremely dynamic space, in which centripetal movements (the legs of the Sabine on the right, the arm of the soldier on the back at the top right) and centrifugal movements (the arm of the kidnapper on the left and the legs of the Sabine he is carrying away, the arm of the Sabine on the right) oppose each other, giving the drawing the appearance of a whirlpool around a central point of support situated slightly to the left of the navel of the kidnapper on the right. 3. Polidoro da Caravaggio, and the decorations of Roman palaces Polidoro da Caravaggio was a paradoxical artist who entered Raphael's (1483 - 1520) workshop at a very young age, when he oversaw the Lodges in the Vatican. Most of his Roman work, which was the peak of his career, has disappeared, as he specialised in facade painting, and yet these paintings, which are eminently visible in urban spaces, have influenced generations of artists who copied them abundantly during their visits to Rome. Polidoro Caldara was born in Caravaggio around 1495-1500 (the birthplace of Michelangelo Merisi, known as Caravaggio, who was born there in 1571), some forty kilometres east of Milan. According to Vasari, he arrived as a mason on the Vatican's construction site and joined Raphael's workshop around 1517 (at the age of eighteen according to Vasari). This integration would have allowed Polidoro to work not only on the frescoes of the Lodges, but also on some of the frescoes of the Chambers, as well as on the flat of Cardinal Bibiena in the Vatican. After Raphael's death in 1520, Polidoro worked first with Perin del Vaga before joining forces with Maturino of Florence (1490 - 1528), whom he had also known in Raphael's workshop. Together they specialised in the painting of palace façades. They were to produce some forty façades decorated with grisaille paintings imitating antique bas-reliefs. The Sack of Rome in 1527, during which his friend Maturino was killed, led Polidoro to flee first to Naples (where he had already stayed in 1523), then to Messina. It was while he was preparing his return to the peninsula that he was murdered by one of his assistants, Tonno Calabrese, in 1543. In his Vite, Vasari celebrated Polidoro as the greatest façade decorator of his time, noting that "there is no flat, palace, garden or villa in Rome that does not contain a work by Polidoro". Polidoro's facade decorations, most of which have disappeared as they were displayed in the open air, constitute the most important lost chapter of Roman art of the Cinquecento. The few surviving drawings of the painter can, however, give an idea of the original appearance of his murals and show that he was an artist of remarkable and highly original genius. 4. The façade of the Milesi Palace Giovanni Antonio Milesi, who commissioned this palace, located not far from the Tiber, north of Piazza Navona, was a native of the Bergamo area, like Polidoro, with whom he maintained close friendly ties. Executed in the last years before the Sack of Rome, around 1526-1527, the decoration of Palazzo Milesi is considered Polidoro's greatest decorative success. An engraving by Ernesto Maccari made at the end of the nineteenth century allows us to understand the general balance of this façade, which was still well preserved at the time. The frescoes were not entirely monochrome, but alternated elements in chiaroscuro simulating marble bas-reliefs and those in ochre simulating bronze and gold vases...

French school late 18th Century Portrait of a young man oil on metal 10.2 x 7.7 cm Framed under glass : 24.4 x 21.8 cm This small portrait painting, quite original in its technique...

Pair of large floral still lifes in the Old Master style Continental, Early 20th Century Canvas: Height 120cm, width 90cm Frame: Height 141cm, width 111cm, depth 6cm This pair of b...

Adam-Frans van der Meulen (Bruxelles, 1632 - Paris, 1690) Louis XIV and his army at the crossing of the Rhine 12 June 1672 Signed A.F VANDERMEULEN at the right low corner Oil on can...

A superb British Old Master marine oil painting by Peter Monamy. Painted circa 1730 it depicts the Royal navy first and third rate men o war firing a salute....

"Arrows of St Sebastian" diptych 2 sepia ink drawings by Paula Craioveanu This is a set of 2ink drawings, showing in a modern vision the martyrdom of St Sebastian. These 2 drawings ...

Signed and localized on the verso : "Vedute di parte dalla Piazza dif.a alla Loggetta e cam panil parte della Zecca ed in lontan Proc.e vechie e parte della chiesa punto preso vic...

Hand-colored print of the engraving by Antoine Alexandre Joseph Cardon of the original painting by Gabriele Ricciardelli. Edizioni Pontevecchio. Lily logo and a brush with the inscr...

Jean-Baptiste Perroneau (Paris, 1715 – Amsterdam, 1783) Portrait of a lady Oil on oval canvas 60 x 50 cm. - In frame 77 x 66 cm. Work accompanied by expertise: Raffaelle Colace (Cremona), Ferdinando Arisi Reference bibliography: d’Arnoult, Dominique (2014) Jean-Baptiste Perronneau, c 1715-1783, un portraitiste dans l’Europe des Lumières Excerpt from the expertise of Dr. Colace: This refined portrait of a lady is a perfect example of the style of Jean-Baptiste Perroneau, a very talented French painter, whose most beautiful works are located, just like this one, between the fifth and sixth decades of the eighteenth century. "Perroneaeu is more naturally colored than La Tour, the est, in the peinture de poussière colorée, tout plein de tons clairs, frais, presque humides": this is how his brothers wrote about him in La Maison d...

Hand-colored print of the engraving by Antoine Alexandre Joseph Cardon of the original painting by Gabriele Ricciardelli. Edizioni Pontevecchio. Lily logo and a brush with the inscr...

Claude-Joseph Vernet (Avignon, 1714 - Paris, 1789) workshop of The Storm on the Lighthouse 1750/60 Technique: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 48 x 67 cm / framed 77 x 93 cm We share a highly pleasing work, a splendid marine executed by a talented painter from the workshop of the Frenchman Claude-Joseph Vernet, depicting a coastal view set in a Mediterranean port with the sea still stormy. The focal point of the composition is the large lighthouse at the entrance to the port, which, due to the power of the sea, was unable to bring to safety the ship that had crashed against the rocks, while the silhouette of a second sailing ship can be glimpsed in the distance. The canvas shows in full the pictorial, chromatic and narrative characteristics of the great master Vernet's coastal landscapes, characterised by the inimitable atmospheric conditions always hovering between darkness and light, storm and calm, instilling the observer with contrasting feelings, made even more intense by a palette of vibrant and highly contrasting colours. A similar composition, from which our author must necessarily have drawn, also attributed to the workshop of Claude Joseph Vernet is to be found in France, in Nantes, at the Musée d'Arts.  The effects of the light create a visual drama in the contrast between the darkness of the rain-laden storm clouds and the gash of clear sky that is opening up, pierced by the timid rays of light. The real magic of the painting is the painter's highly personal use of light and colour, with chiaroscuro effects that accentuate its three-dimensionality and movement.
 The compositional typology, as well as the quality of execution and attention to detail we are dealing with, are typical elements of the 'prototypes' conceived by the master, later taken up around the middle of the 18th century by his best pupils. Similar versions can be found in the most important international museums and private collections, belonging to a large series of paintings that the master created, together with his collaborators, during his stay in Italy. Vernet lived in Rome for twenty years (1734 - 1753), becoming particularly popular with English aristocrats who stopped there on their Grand Tour. International fame followed him from Rome to France, and to his English and French clients he added German princes...

Hand-colored print of the engraving by Antoine Alexandre Joseph Cardon of the original painting by Gabriele Ricciardelli. Edizioni Pontevecchio. Lily logo and a brush with the inscr...