"Earthly Paradise" Frédérick Bouttats (Antwerp, 1590-1661)- Studio of

1610-1612

Study from Nature Made in Montfaucon 1846 (Etude d'après Nature Faite à Montfaucon, 1846) François Bonvin (French, 1817-1887) Oil on canvas, original hand carved wood frame. Signed, dated and inscribed F. Bonvin 1846 a Montfaucon (ll); inscribed indistinctly Etude... F. Bonvin...montfaucon on the stretcher 6 3/8 x 8 5/8 (9 1/2 x 11 1/2 frame) inches Provenance: Ex Collection Auguste Péquégnot Paul Prouté André Watteau Charles Sadler Galerie Berès, Paris Exhibited: Paris, Galerie Beres, Francois Bonvin, Nov. 20, 1998 - Jan. 9, 1999 Literature: International Herald Tribune, Nov. 28-29, 1998, p. 9, illus. Bonvin's work has been compared with that of the eighteenth-century artist Chardin, whom Bonvin greatly admired, and from whose work he often borrowed particular motifs. Amongst the artists he personally encouraged were Théodule Ribot and Fantin-Latour. He was one of a group of artists who challenged the idea that still-life was a mode of artistic expression inferior to the lofty genre of history and religious painting. Bonvin championed the Realist conviction that everyday subject matter was the trues form of artistic expression. Bonvin was known for keen observation skills and great restraint. In his paintings, you can almost feel the moment between breaths as the subject matter is contemplated and then committed to canvas. This a superb, very personal and very quiet study of the village of Montfaucon on what appears to be an afternoon in the Argonne region in Northeastern France known its deep valleys and dense woodlands. François is one of the most interesting painters of the 19th century. Bonvin was born in humble circumstances in Paris and had a very difficult childhood. He was the son of a police officer and a seamstress; when he was four years old his mother died of tuberculosis. Young François was left in the care of an old woman who underfed him. Soon his father married another seamstress and brought the child back into the household. Nine additional children were born (one of whom was his half-brother, the painter Leon...

18th Century European Portrait of a Child Saint John the Baptist Oil on Canvas 19 x 14 1/4 inches This lovely and sensitively painting has been examined by a professional restorer w...

Pair of Hunting Dogs at Rest; Artist unknown, French, 19th century (monogrammed "JS" Circa 1850 10 x 7 (14 3/8 x 17 1/8 frame) inches This is finely realized portrait of pair of h...

"Le Trianon à Versailles, 1925" Louis Gautier (French, 1855-1947) Oil on cardboard Provenance: Private Collection Marseille, France Signed and dated 1925 lower right. Titled, dated...

Elegant painting from the second half of the 17th century. Oil on canvas artwork depicting a splendid landscape with grazing animals, of great pictorial quality. In the foreground we...

Flemish school, 17th century Orpheus and the animals Oil on canvas, 146,5 x 217 cm Provenance: South German private collection. On an impressive, room-filling format, this painting depicts "Orpheus and the Animals." The harp-playing Orpheus sits centrally in front of a tree whose trunk bifurcates above his head. This central tree frames with its crown the scenery towards the horizon and at the same time offers through branches the possibility for many birds to find space. The left half of the picture is characterized by a seascape, at the edge of which the ruins of a castle can be seen deep in the background. This seascape, framed by mountains on the horizon, is the only area where sky can be seen. On this side, waterfowl such as storks, swans and ducks can be seen. In the right half, the viewer looks into a deep European forest. On this right side, more land animals can be found, such as deer, rabbits and lions, among others. Orpheus wears opulent red and gold trimmed clothing, under his blue breastplate we see a white shirt. His feet are adorned by elaborate sandals. His head is surrounded by a radiant laurel wreath ("poeta laureatus"). The young man is clearly identifiable as the singer and poet of Greek mythology, Orpheus, by his harp, the laurel wreath and the animals surrounding him. Orpheus was one of the Argonauts who, under Jason, was searching for the Golden Fleece. He sang so beautifully that he even conquered the angry sea and enemies by the magic of his lyre. During the journey, Orpheus is said to have drowned out even the sirens with his singing. It is said that he was the greatest of all poets and charmed people, animals, stones and trees with his singing. In total, 51 birds and 37 different species are depicted in the painting. The animals are mostly depicted in great detail and, except for a few, can be identified. Mainly European species of animals are shown. Exceptions are the ostrich-like nandu peeking out from behind the deer, as well as the large parrot on the upper left, and the two lions. Similar is the case for the large animal directly behind Orpheus on the right. The shape of the head suggests an arctic fox from the polar regions, even though the body is much too large. The arctic fox was first described in 1555 by Olaus Magnus. However, it could also be a depiction of a brown or black bear. An unusual detail is the animal, which is relatively isolated in the right background and looks to the left. It is not clearly identifiable, but it shows certain similarities with the Australian kangaroo. This was first described by Vespucci in 1500 and further by Francisco Pelsaert in 1629. If it is indeed a kangaroo, this would be one of the earliest surviving pictorial representations. In this painting, Orpheus is accompanied by a small monkey playing a viola da gamba. This is an iconographic peculiarity. In general, this painting has some peculiarities compared to other paintings with "Orpheus and the animals". The central positioning of Orpheus is quite common, but he usually holds a lyre and is dressed in an antique style, but not as opulently. The choice of animals is also remarkable: European animals in particular are seen, hardly any exotic features, such as camels or elephants. The two lions in the right foreground are a quotation from Peter Paul Rubens and his depiction of "Daniel in the Lion's Den", which was realized in an engraving. The present painting can be classified as belonging to the Flemish School of the 17th century on the basis of its painterly and compositional conception. From the circle of Jan Brueghel the Younger are numerous representations of this Orpheus - theme, which take it as an opportunity to show as many exotic animals. There are also echoes of Spanish painters such as Juan de Arellano...

Follower of Dirck van Berghen (Dutch School, 17th Century) Pastoral Landscape with a Shepherdess and Livestock Oil on canvas, framed in a French Empire period gilt frame canvas dimensions: 18 x 22 inches framed dimensions: 22.5 x 26 inches This charming pastoral scene, rendered in oil on canvas, is attributed to a follower of the 17th-century Dutch painter Dirck van Berghen, who was known for his bucolic landscapes featuring cattle and rural life. The composition reflects the influence of van Berghen’s mentor, Adriaen van de Velde...

A beautifully detailed late 17th or early 18th century Dutch or Flemish landscape with cows grazing in the water, goats, dogs, and other animals near the water’s edge, under the watchful eye of the herdsmen, on a backdrop of rolling hills and trees. Oil on wood panel, unsigned, and housed in a Rudolph...