James Alexander Walker

Antique Miniature Oil Painting on Panel French Battle Cavalry Horse Scene 1875

Circa 1860

A fine antique French oil painting on canvas by Isidore Alexandre Augustin Pils (1815–1875), the painting depicting Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle (1760-1836) singing "La Marseillaise", circa 1849. Isidore Pils was an academic painter, very often painting military subjects. Claude Rouget de Lisle was a French army officer from the French Revolutionary Wars and famously wrote the words to "La Marseillaise" and first performed it to the Mayor of Strasbourg; Baron Philippe-Frederic de Dietrich. This painting dates to the middle of the 19th century and could be by the hand of Pils or possibly a talented copyist who was also a classically trained artist, the work appears to be unsigned. The painting is in excellent condition and is housed in a gilded frame. Isidore Pils produced a number of paintings with this famous scene and one such painting is housed in the collection of The Louvre in Paris. At sight without frame 26.50" x 22" Pils was born in Paris as the son of a soldier François Pils. At the age of twelve, he studied with Guillaume Guillon-Lethière for four years. In 1831 he became a student at the École des Beaux-Arts and studied under François-Édouard Picot. He competed for the Prix de Rome, which he won in 1838 for a history painting, St. Peter Healing a Lame Man at the Door of the Temple. Although in poor health, Pils then spent the customary three years at the French Academy in Rome at the Villa Medici, which then had Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres as its director. While in Italy he visited Naples, Venice, and Florence. Pils's earlier paintings have religious themes. In 1849 he completed his most famous work, Rouget de L'Isle Singing La Marseillaise, which now resides at the Musée historique de Strasbourg. After experiences travelling with French troops through the Crimea, his themes took on military and nationalistic subjects. He later produced many military scenes during the siege of Paris during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. Pils was appointed professor of painting at the École des Beaux-Arts in 1863 but left the same year for two years in Algeria. In 1868 he was elected to seat #14 of the Académie des Beaux-Arts. Among his students were Adrien Moreau, Paul Adolphe Rajon, Julien Dupré, Luc-Olivier Merson, Ludovic Piette...

A good antique Dutch/Flemish oil on panel painting, after Cornelis van Poelenburgh, circa 1850. The painting portrays a number of nude and par...

A very good antique oil on panel costume genre painting by the celebrated Northern Italian artist, Francesco Vinea (1845-1902), the painting dated signed and dated 1873. Vinea studied at The Academy of Fine Arts in Florence and then worked as a designer of illustrated periodicals, he returned to Florence and studied under professor Enrico Pollestrini. Vinea unapologetically produced incredibly high quality humorous and whimsical scenes that were always elegant and depicted figures in period costume situated in lavishly ornamented interiors. Vinea became quite famous and wealthy in his lifetime and his work was particularly sought after in France, England and The United States. The 19th Century American art collector James Jackson...

A fine antique oil painting by Wilfred Constant Beauquesne (1847-1913), of a French cavalry soldier on horseback, 1883. The painting titled "The Despatch Bearer", depicts a French cavalry soldier riding his horse frantically to deliver despatches to the front. The soldier in full uniform with his cavalry trooper's sword hanging from his sadle & the horse hair from his Cuirassier helmet...

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