Joseph van Bredael

The Adoration of the Magi by Joseph van Bredael

Late 17th/early 18th century

Lucas Cranach the Elder and Studio 1472-1553 German Moses and the Pillar of Cloud Oil on panel Moses and the Pillar of Cloud is a bold and evocative composition that showcases the signature intense color and intricate detail of Lucas Cranach the Elder’s celebrated oeuvre. The remarkable 16th-century oil on panel by Lucas Cranach and his studio captures the narrative moment when Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt and encounters God manifested through a large pillar of cloud. Moses stands at the precipice of a bridge and turns back to soldiers helping to lead the group of Israelites who huddle closely together. Cranach depicts Moses with his traditional iconography, rendering the rays of light on his head which came to be interpreted as "horns" in the translation of the Bible. Using his traditional walking staff, Moses gestures toward the pillar, seemingly acknowledging that God will protect the group as they cross the bridge to the other side, leaving exile and entering a promised land. In a nod to Cranach’s Germanic locale, he renders the figures and setting in a manner that feels decisively more akin to European aesthetics than those of the Red Sea. Soldiers wear elaborate, gothic suits of armor that recall the livery of Northern European guardsmen. The terrain appears more like a European forest giving way to a sweeping valley than the arid landscape the Israelites trekked through on their journey across the Red Sea. Though still clearly recounting a story from the Old Testament, Cranach renders the cast of characters and setting in an earthly, familiar manner. This aesthetic shift speaks to Cranach’s own changing beliefs as he found himself at the center of the Protestant Reformation. After first gaining recognition in 1505 as the official painter of Frederick the Wise, Cranach established a thriving painting and print studio in Wittenberg, Germany. Cranach was renowned for his court portraits and genre paintings and was also well known for his association with the famous protestant reformer Martin Luther, then under the protection of Frederick the Wise. As Wittenberg became a bastion of new religious thought, Cranach soon befriended Luther and played an active role in creating the printed materials that proliferated throughout the Reformation...

This thoroughly modern Parisian scene was composed by the celebrated French painter Jean François Raffaëlli. The delicate oil captures a familiar subject from late 19th-century life in the city: a busy avenue at the edge of a park on a cool autumn day. Exploring the climate of the city, Raffaëlli's mature works capture the energy of the grand parks and boulevards of the new Paris that emerged at the turn of the century. His legacy documents the realities of urban life during his age, all chronicled in his distinctive brushwork and sophisticated palette. While Raffaëlli was never fully accepted as a member of the Impressionist group, his works display a similar affinity for capturing the transient moments of modern life. His figures exude a sense of being suspended in time, as though they are part of some subtle narrative that is both restless and harmonious. Perhaps more aligned with Naturalism than Impressionism, the visual effect of Raffaëlli's composition is one of carefully composed spontaneity that makes manifest the joie de vivre of the age. Raffaëlli was not the only artist of his era to devote his canvases to the urban landscape. Camille Pissarro, Claude Monet, Gustave Caillebotte and others composed significant works on the subject of the urban milieu. On the whole, it was an entirely new kind of painting, and it was largely influenced by the work of social engineer Baron Haussmann beginning in the 1850s. At the request of Emperor Napoleon III, Haussmann designed and carried out a large-scale urban renewal program, erecting landmarks and tree-lined thoroughfares throughout the city to create a unified and socially-centered urban aesthetic. The city became a glittering stage for modern advancements and bourgeois pleasure, which paved the way for a new kind of subject that was eagerly adopted by the Impressionists and artistic avant-garde. Born in Paris in 1850, Raffaëlli first studied theater and music before turning to painting in 1870. That same year, he submitted a landscape painting to the Salon and was accepted. Aside from just three months studying with the Academic great Jean-Léon Gérôme, Raffaëlli was self-trained, developing his own unique style that brought together Realism, Naturalism and Impressionism. While he managed to exhibit works at both the Salon and the Impressionist exhibitions...

Jean-Pierre Cassigneul b.1935 French La terrasse devant la mer (The Terrace by the Sea) Signed “Cassigneul” (lower left) Oil on canvas laid on panel This monumental, three-panele...

Johannes Rosierse 1818 – 1901 | Netherlands Abundance Signed “J. Rosierse” (lower right) Oil on canvas Captivating and mysterious, this dynamic painting by Johannes Rosierse demon...

A.E. Herrmann Active in the 1920s Dutch Bali Signed "A.E. Herrmann 1932" (in lower right hand corner) Oil on canvas This enchanting work by Dutch artist, A.E. Herrmann depicts an exotic scene in Bali. In this magnificent painting depicting four Balinese women packing baskets, a vivid background is painted so that it is vibrant with the tropical colors of Indonesia. The stunning melon-hued temple becomes a focus in the painting and evokes a serene and mesmerizing scene of a faraway land. Indonesia and in particular Bali and Java was an extremely important...

Gaston La Touche 1854 - 1913 French L’embarquement The Embarkment Signed "Gaston La Touche" (lower right) Oil on panel A fashionable group of merrymakers boards a rowboat at sundown in this oil on panel by renowned French painter Gaston La Touche. Softly lit and lushly detailed, the work represents the artist’s talent for capturing the gaiety of the Belle Époque. With its luminous coloring and feathery brushwork, this oil evokes the style and joie de vivre of the era rendered in La Touche’s distinctive, mature style. Fresh and airy, the work is a beautiful example of the artist’s skill at capturing the subtle qualities of light and color. Set against the plein air backdrop of a wooded pond awash in the soft glow of the golden hour, the scene reflects the influence of the Impressionists. The subject also recalls works by Manet, Monet and Renoir, who delighted in depictions of modern leisure among the expanding middle class. The scene is an informal one, and its unconventional cropping suggests that the viewer is invited to take a seat in the boat and join the group on their outing. Such relaxed, inviting scenes were remarkably popular among contemporary, modern audiences. However, La Touche's style is singular, possessing an element of fantasy and romance that set him apart from the Impressionists. Gaston La Touche was born in St. Cloud, outside of Paris, in 1854, and he showed a keen interest in art from a young age. At ten years old, he began taking private art instruction, which lasted until 1870, when his family was forced to flee to Normandy amid the Franco-Prussian War. This was the only formal art training La Touche would ever receive. Despite his lack of Academy training, he made his debut at the Paris Salon of 1875 with a sculptural medallion and etchings, and he exhibited his first painting at the Salon of 1881. Although he began his career painting dark-toned realist compositions, by 1890, his style had shifted to what would become his signature — a lighter, brighter, idealistic society world. The artist was associated with practically all of the most influential artists and thinkers of late 19th century France, including Édouard Manet, Edgar Degas, Émile Zola, who frequently met at the legendary Cafe de la Nouvelle Athenes to share their thoughts on modern society. In 1900, he was named a Chevalier of the Legion d'Honneur and an Officer in 1909. Additionally, he was well-decorated at the grand...

This small landscape shows a hunting scene: two riders are chasing a stag with their dogs at the edge of a forest. Signed by Peter von Bemmel, it is typical of the production of this...

Allegory of summer, personified by Ceres Workshop of Hendrick Van Balen Antwerp School, early 17th century. Oil on copper, Dimensions: h. 52 cm, l. 40cm Antic giltwood frame Framed dimensions: h. 74 cm, l. 60cm Very good condition Our delicately painted work is part of the pictorial tradition that is both allegorical and mythological in vogue in Antwerp, whose leaders are Jan Brueghel the Younger and Hendrick Van Balen. Numerous works emerging from their workshops illustrate mythological subjects, the seasons, the elements, the senses or intertwining the lush landscapes, animals and gods of Olympus. At the heart of a green landscape dominated in its center by a generous apple tree, the beautiful Ceres, partially dressed in a large blue drape, is wearing a crown of ears of wheat, her symbol of the goddess of the earth and harvests. She holds the sickle in her right hand and carries sheaves of wheat. To her right a nymph holds the cornucopia while puttis pick and offer flowers. In the foreground are the summer fruits: figs, cherries, apples and lemons. A squirrel munching on cherries symbolizes toil and foresight, themes that are echoed in the work of the harvesters on the wheat fields in the background. The background is composed of vegetation, on the right a wild rose bush with its branches erect against a tree trunk, in the center of the trees with silvery green foliage. Our painter, a student of Hendrick Van Balen, finds his inspiration in the works of the master such as this nymph in yellow drapery seen from behind, one of the figures which accompanies many of the master's paintings. The elegant gestures, the flesh...The indisputable influence of Jan Brueghel the Younger is revealed in the treatment of trees and flowers, wild roses, tulips as well as in the still life with the squirrel in the foreground. The craze for this type of virtuoso painting where the mythological figures are only a pretext to better illustrate the landscape and plant species surrounding them, then generated orders from all over Europe. Hendrick Van Balen, Flemish painter, born and died in Antwerp (1575-1632). A student of Adam Van Noort, he entered the guild of Saint-Luc in 1593, later trained in Italy and was Van Dyck's first master. He often painted small characters taken from scenes from the Bible or classical mythology, on paintings in which Josse de Momper...

LANDSCAPE WITH FLIGHT TO EGYPT, JASPER VAN DER LANEN (ANTWERP, 1585 - 1634) 17TH CENTURY FLEMISH SCHOOL ANTWERP CIRCA 1630 Oil on copper, dimensions: h. 10.23 in, w. 14.96 in Flemish style frame in ebonized wood adorned with wavy moldings and wood veneer. Framed dimensions: h. 17.32 in, w. 21.65 in Provenance: Philips auction...

This small Flemish painting, measuring only 24.5 x 18.5 cm and executed on a copper plate, depicts Saint Nicholas of Tolentino. Created in the 17th century, the artist remains unknow...

Pieter Gysels, also known as Peeter Gijsels, was a renowned Flemish painter who lived from 1621 to 1690/91. He was known for his landscapes, which often depicted idyllic scenes from nature, and his works are highly sought after by Old Master collectors. We are proud to offer a newly discovered pair of landscapes attributed to him; this one called "A Wooded Landscape With Riders" This stunning painting captures the beauty of a serene summer day in the countryside. In the foreground, we see a couple riding on horsebacks, enjoying the peaceful surroundings. The horses seems to be trotting gently, and the riders are relaxed, taking in the natural splendour around them. In the distance, we see several other figures, perhaps farmers or peasants, doing their daily tasks. We also see a small stream flowing through the landscape, with several small houses. And in the background, we see a beautiful wooded area with tall trees reaching up towards the sky. The attention to detail in this painting is truly remarkable. Gysels use of vibrant colours evoke the warmth and beauty and he skillfully captured the play of light on the landscape, creating a sense of depth and atmosphere. The detailing of the cottages, the colors, the use of big-leafed plants in the foreground, and the figure types are typical of his signature style. "A Wooded Landscape With Riders" is painted on copper, which gives the painting a unique luminosity and depth. The use of copper as a support for paintings was popular in the seventeenth century. We also have one more painting called "Wooded Landscape With an Elegant Company...

Flemish School, 1600s Landscape With Pan and Syrinx painted around the 1600s oil on copper 19 x 23.5 cm frame 29 x 34 cm Hand-made oak frame by Swedish frame maker Christer Björkma...