Jonathan Adams

Three Greyhounds, Contemporary Copy of work by J Snyders 1650

2010

The goat plays a strange role in mythology and legend; perhaps its ambivalence, appearing on both sides of the spectrum, give it the appeal it enjoys. Most ancient cultures from the Assyrians via the ancient Greeks and Vikings have a goat appear in their legends. Berlin's goat skulls...

The goat plays a strange role in mythology and legend; perhaps its ambivalence, appearing on both sides of the spectrum, give it the appeal it enjoys. Most ancient cultures from the Assyrians via the ancient Greeks and Vikings have a goat appear in their legends. Berlin’s goat skulls...

Leaping Bull oil on canvas 75 x 100 cm (2' 6" x 3' 3") + edge frame Penny's interpretation of the legendary leaping bull from the palace of Knossos in Crete. Sacred in Minoan civi...

Prehistoric artists decorated their caves in similar colours to those we use today: yellow ochre and burnt sienna, both natural earth pigments. Penny recreates prehistory by using th...

This enchanting photograph captures the essence of an 18th-century-style portrait featuring a regal dog. Poised at attention, the canine exudes an air of majesty, adorned with a splendid blue collar that accentuates its noble bearing. This depiction seamlessly merges the grace of classical portraiture with the timeless charm of a loyal and dignified companion. Fidel Santos...

A masterful copy by an unknown artist, after the portrait of "Beatrice d'Este" by Leonardo Da Vinci also known as ‘Portrait of a Lady’ or ‘La Dama con la reticella di perle (The Lady With a Pearl Hairnet)’. The original work originally created in the 15th Century is currently on display in the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana Museum of Milan. Beatrice d'Este was the Duchess of Bari/Milan and was believed to be one of the most attractive princesses of the Renaissance. Her impeccable style won her many admirers throughout Italy and France, and she became a trendsetter of the highest order. This copy of the original painting, is an oil on canvas done in the 18th Century, and in this exquisite portrait, the artist has masterfully depicted the fine details with draped hair, pearls, royal dress, ornate headgear and sumptuous jewelry in front of a dark background. Once again, capturing the imagination with another enigmatic smile. It comes housed in an elegant period giltwood frame with ebonized trims and ready to be displayed with hanging wire on verso. Art measures 28 x 18 inches Frame measures 34.5 x 24.5 inches There is much debate and controversy over who actually painted the "Beatrice d'Este" was it Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519), or Giovanni Ambrogio de Predis (1455–1508). So we may never know who executed the original portrait which hangs in the museum, but that need not deter from an appreciation of its singularity. Following the portraiture convention established by painters of the Quattrocentro, the artist has chosen to portray his sitter in profile. In doing so, he magnificently captures the essence of his sitter, a girl on the threshold of womanhood. Bedecked in the adornments—silk, velvet, pearls and embroidery (brocade) crafted of spun gold threads—afforded her by birthright and marriage, Beatrice looks forward in noble serenity. And at the same time her profile with its upturned nose and slight smile betrays an innocence that must have been the basis of the oft-repeated epithet: la più zentil donna in Italia” (“the sweetest lady in Italy”). It is believed the lady is Beatrice d'Este (1475-1497), duchess of Bari and later of Milan, the wife of Ludovico Sforza (known as "il Moro"). One of the most beautiful princesses of the Italian Renaissance, she was known for her good taste in fashion. Beatrice was a member of the Este-Sforza family, which joined by marriage two of the oldest reigning and already powerful houses in Italy. The house of Este, which held court in Ferrara, traced its lineage to the 11th century Dukes of Saxony and Bavaria. Beatriceʼs father, Ercole I ruled the Ferrara commune for 34 years, catapulting the city-state (and the Estes with it) to an unmatched level of economic prosperity and cultural prominence. The family was renowned for its love of letters and patronage of the arts. The first time Leonardo da Vinci’s name resounded in the Ambrosiana, it was through the pen of its founder, Cardinal Federico Borromeo, who attributed this little panel to the great Master, describing it as “A portrait of a Duchess of Milan, by the hand of Leonardo”. Following the Cardinal’s statement, the portrait was for long assumed to depict Beatrice d’Este, the wife of Ludovico il Moro. However, scholars have recently been more cautious and vague in their statements, with regard to both the artist (anonymous Lombard or Emilian...

Pietro Longhi (Venice 1701 - Venice 1785) - The Hunter. 60.5 x 50.5 cm without frame, 70.5 x 60.5 cm with frame. Oil on canvas, in a carved and gilded wooden frame (not signed). -...

We love Rudolf's latest series and particularly this exquisitely comical and enigmatic painting. The artist says "Banal, everyday things meet in the middle of nowhere and present the...