Old Masters Landscape Paintings

Felice Torelli (Verona, Italy, 1667 - Bologna, Italy, 1748) Title: Rachel Hiding the Idols Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: without frame 41 x 116 cm -...

Jan Van der Straet, known as Giovanni Stradano (Bruges 1523 - Florence 1605), Workshop of The Adoration of the Magi late 16th century - early 17th century oil painting on canvas Mea...

We would like to thank Madame Beck-Saiello for confirming the autograph nature of this drawing after an in-person examination. It was probably during an excursion in the countryside near Avignon that Claude-Joseph Vernet executed this drawing, enhanced with pen and brown ink, depicting a mansion on a hilltop overlooking a small village with geometric shapes. 1. Joseph Vernet, a painter influenced by Italy Claude-Joseph Vernet was born in Avignon in 1714, the son of Antoine Vernet (1689-1753), an artisan painter of architectural decorations, coach panels, and the like. He moved to the studio of Philippe Sauvan (1697-1792), a leading history painter in Avignon, and then worked with Jacques Viali (active 1681-1745), a decorative, landscape, and marine painter in Aix-en-Provence. Vernet's first recorded paintings were decorative overdoors executed in 1731 in the Aix townhouse of the marquise de Simiane. In 1734, Joseph de Seytres, marquis de Caumont, a leading amateur in Avignon, sponsored Vernet to make a study trip to Italy to complete his artistic education and to draw antiquities for his patron. As Avignon was a papal territory in Vernet's day, he also had a number of useful introductions among influential churchmen when he arrived in Rome. Vernet was soon at home in the French community there, and he was encouraged by Nicolas Vleughels (1668-1737), director of the Académie de France in Rome, even though the young painter had no official affiliation with the royal institution. He likely entered the studio of the French marine painter Adrien Manglard...

Antonio Stom (Venice, Italy, c. 1688 - 1734) Title: Architectural Capriccio Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: without frame 88 x 113 cm - with frame 106 x 132 cm Carved, sculpted and...

This superb 17th century Dutch Golden Age oil painting has been more recently reattributed to Abraham Begeyn by Dr Marijke C. de Kinkelder formerly of the RKD - Netherlands Institute for Art History. Painted circa 1640 it is an Italianate wooded river landscape with drovers and their herd crossing a river with a watchtower beyond. Begeyn was one of the many 17th-century Dutch and Flemish painters to embrace the Italianate style, populating their decidedly non-Dutch, mountainous landscapes with rustic travellers and picturesque ruins bathed in warm, Mediterranean light. It has Begeyn's characteristic brightly lit cattle and grouping of figures, similar to a comparable painting in the Lichtenstein Princely Collections. The brushwork and details are superb. One can see the influence of his teacher Nicholaes Berchem (1620-1683) and the typical golden glow of the Golden Age painters. This is a stunning 17th century Golden Age oil painting and an excellent example of Begeyn's work. Provenance: With Koetser Gallery, Zurich. Private Collection (Rhine region). Anon. sale, Dorotheum, Vienna, 22 June 2010, lot 357, as by Jacob de Heusch (€18,600). Anon. sale, Christie's South Kensington,18 November 2015, lot 432, as 'Follower of Nicolaes Berchem'; where purchased by the present owner. Note: Begeyn was one of the many 17th-century Dutch and Flemish painters to embrace the Italianate style, populating their decidedly non-Dutch, mountainous landscapes with rustic travellers and picturesque ruins bathed in warm, Mediterranean light. He is thought to have studied under Nicolaes Berchem (1620-1683), a pioneer of this genre of landscape painting, and travelled extensively to Italy, London and later to Germany in 1688, where he lived out his days as court painter to Frederick III, Elector of Brandenburg (later Frederick I, King of Prussia). The present work was previously thought to be the work of Jacob de Heusch (1656-1701), but has been more recently reattributed to Abraham Begeyn by Dr Marijke C. de Kinkelder formerly of the RKD - Netherlands Institute for Art History. A comparable scene, which also includes Begeyn's characteristic brightly lit cattle and a similar figure group, was sold at Christie's Amsterdam, 18 November 2015, lot 110. Another can be found in the Liechtenstein Princely Collections (no.GE 290). Condition. Oil on canvas, image size 21 inches by 18 inches and in good condition. Frame. Housed in a beautiful gilt frame, 28 inches by 25 inches and in good condition. Abraham Begeyn (c. 1637 Leiden - 11 June 1697 Berlin), was a Dutch Golden Age painter. Begeyn was born in Leiden. Though perhaps known mostly for his Italianate landscapes and cattle in the manner of Nicolaes Pietersz Berchem, Begyn was a highly skilled painter active in many genres, who travelled widely. According to the RKD, Begeyn's earliest known work is from 1653, though he was first accepted into the Guild of St. Luke in Leiden in 1655. He stopped paying dues in 1667, because he set off for a trip to Italy. He is registered in Rome and Naples from 1659–1660. In the rampjaar or disaster year, of 1672, he is registered in Amsterdam, and after that he lived in London, where he painted at Ham House, Surrey, together with Willem van de Velde the Younger (1633–1707) and Dirck van Bergen...

New Forest,Hampshire, 19th century,landscape oil, by Frederick Golden Short A fine small framed landscape oil painting on canvas o...

A fine 19th century oil on canvas painting "South Pier, Sunderland " signed and indistinctly dated 1844, the size of the painting being approx. 45 x 80 cm whilst overall size bei...

James ward landscape oil Bringing in the Catch A charming scene of a family "bringing in the catch" showing figures outside a cottage, man pullng in the boat with his dog watching by...

Pandolfo Reschi known as Monsù Pandolfo (Danzica 1643 - Florence 1699), attributable Coastal landscape with fortified city, castle with tower, and battle scene oil painting on canvas Measurements: canvas 90 x 120, with frame 104 x 134 This expansive coastal landscape, with a fortress-city overlooking the sea and a small castle with a watchtower, serves as the stage for an eventful battle scene between soldiers and, presumably, a band of brigands. It is an illustrative typology attributable to Pandolfo Reschi (Danzica 1643 - Florence 1696), known for his works in which he perfectly combines the airy landscape of Tuscan-Roman matrix with images of knights in battle or brigands intent on their raids. Pandolfo Reschi was born in Gdansk but from an early age he moved to Rome where he began his brilliant career following the style of Salvator Rosa, even if his real teacher was the Flemish-Italianized Livio Mehus. With Mehus and Rosa he refined his skills as a battle painter and was later taken to the workshop by the Borgognone, even if his main occupation was that of a genre painter. The decisive turning point in his career came after his transfer to Florence, around the middle of 1660, where he continued his studies with Livio Mehus. After a decade he was now an established and highly coveted painter, so much so that in 1670 he was hired by the Medici court as protege of Cardinal Francesco Maria de Medici...

Abraham van CUYLENBROCH (1620-1658) Diana With Her Attendants in a Grotto 1651 signed oil on panel 12.2 in x 15.7 inches, inc. frame; 31 x 40 cm Provenance: Sale of Sotheby's Lo...

Ruisdael is regarded as the principal figure among Dutch landscape painters of the second half of the 17th century. His naturalistic compositions and style representing massive forms...

Felice Torelli (Verona, Italy, 1667 - Bologna, Italy, 1748) Title: Hagar and the Angel Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: without frame 41 x 116 cm - wit...

Jan Brueghel the Younger (Antwerp 1601–1678) workshop of Noli me tangere Oil on canvas 97 x 128 cm - In frame 114 x 143 cm This is a fascinating work, both for its subject, featuring Christ and Mary Magdalene, and for its execution, displaying all the distinctive characteristics of the Flemish painter Jan Brueghel the Younger (Antwerp 1601–1678), son of one of the most important dynasties of Flemish painters, being the heir of Jan Brueghel the Elder...

A delicate oil on canvas landscape capriccio of an Arcadian landscape with figures and sheep and goats in the foreground. A stormy sky and blasted tree populate the landscape and the...

Quality work attributed to the painter Peter Van Der Velde (Antwerp 1634 - c.1714)  Coastal view with fortified city and boats (city of Antwerp?) Oil pa...

Giovan Battista Discepoli, also called the "Zoppo from Lugano" [Castagnola (Lugano), Switzerland, 1590 - Lugano, Switzerland, 1654] Title: Coronation of Thorns Medium: Oil on panel D...

Daniel CLOWES (1774-1829) after George Stubbs Mares and Foals in a Landscape oil on canvas 29 x 33 inches, inc.frame Daniel Clowes lived and worked in Chester all his life and ...

PIETRO MONTANINI (Perugia, Italy, 1619 - 1689) Title: Landscape Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: without frame 50 x 65 cm - with frame 64 x 79 cm An...

18th-century Neapolitan master Pair of paintings ‘Hagar and the Angel’ and ’The Sacrifice of Isaac’ Pair of oils on oval canvas 75 x 60 cm. - In frame 84 x 69 cm. The proposed pair...

Guillaume Courtois known as 'il Borgognone' (Saint Hippolyte 1626 - Rome 1679) The Resting of Diana Oil on canvas (97 x 70 cm. - Framed cm. 121 x 95) The proposed painting, of exqui...

Provenance: The Marchesi Strozzi, Palazzo Strozzi, Florence Sale, Christie’s, London, May 20, 1993, lot 315, as by Carl Borromaus Andreas Ruthart...

After Aelbert Cuyp (unsigned) an oil on board country scene depicting a farmer and bull. The painting is in overall very good condition however the frame has some losses .Mainly to...

Stunning large scale and vivid painting of Native American weaver by Northern California artist Helene Minelli (American, 1918-2010), circa 1980s. Signe...

Brinckmann Philipp Hieronymus Spire 1709 – 1761 Manheim Old Master 'A Pair of Forest Landscapes with River and Boat in the Foreground' Signature: signed "Ph. Brinckm" bottom lower ...

A fine antique oil painting of horses pulling a stagecoach in snow , by John richard Worsdale (1869-1947) The artist portrays this powerful scene with an extensive view, featuring the stagecoach pulled by 4 horses and a village scene behind with buildings and peopla with another coach behind. oil on canvas, signed lower left, housed in a gilt frame. The size of the painting is approx 74 cms x 49 cms, whilst framed size is 90cm x 67cm. The painting is in very good condition, relined, with only some minor craquelure to the skyline, The frame appears original and is also in good condition with only minor age wear. Provenance: The E. W. Towler Collection, formerly of Glympton Park, Woodstock, Oxfordshire. Eric W. Towler was a remarkable man. He was born in 1900 and left school at the age of 12 to work in a Yorkshire pit and through a lifetime of hard work, self-improvement, luck and a refusal to limit his horizons achieved many of his aspirations. As a Yorkshireman through and through, he believed in ‘spending the brass in his pocket’ and over time he was successful enough to acquire enough ‘brass’ to enable his purchase of Glympton Park and furnish it as a traditional country house with all the trappings – in his case collections of antique furniture...

Thomas Smith of Derby Matlock High-Torr Landscape Oil on canvas 27 x 34.5 inches unframed 34 x 41.5 inches including frame Thomas Smith of Derby (died 12 September 1767) was an Engl...

Giustino Menescardi (Milan, Italy, c. 1720 - Venice, Italy, after 1779) Title: Ascent of Calvary Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: without frame 47 x 36 cm - with frame 57 x 43 cm Shaped and gilded wooden cassetta frame Publications: Bozzetti, modelletti, sketches: dalla collezione di Giorgio Baratti...

Francesco Foschi (Ancona, 1710 - Rome, 1780) Attributable Winter landscape Oil on canvas 76 x 63 cm. - In frame 87 x 75 cm. The compositional and stylistic elements of this pleasan...

The Triumph of the Infant Bacchus, Workshop of Hendrick Van Balen (1575-1632) Antwerp, c.1630 Oil on copper, h. 28 cm (11.02 in), w. 35 cm (13.78 in) A large Roman 17th century golden painted frame Framed: h. 52 cm (20.47 in.), w. 58 cm (22.83 in) Our finely painted work depicts The Triumph of the Bacchus as a young boy and is one of the most popular mythological subjects in Antwerp at the beginning of the 17th century. Feasting, wine and fun are the themes that constantly appeal to the public. Thus unfolds before our eyes on our painting the procession composed of nymphs, baccantes, fauns, satyrs and children, their bodies naked, partially covered with brightly coloured draperies that help to brighten up the parade. Playing various instruments, dancing and drinking, while carrying vases and poles adorned with grapevines, participants to the rhythm of a noisy brass band make their way to an ancient temple standing on the right. The exaggerated gestures convey to us the frenzy of the excited crowd. The Child Bacchus follows the joyous procession, carried by satyrs and nymphs, crowned with ivy and joyfully raising a cup of wine. In the foreground, the drunken participants leave the procession, the children on the left and the group of bacchantes and satyrs on the right are resting among various objects scattered at their feet: cups, vases, ewers bear witness to the festivities in progress. In the background, a hilly landscape stretches out on the horizon, a semblance of calm that contrasts with the bustle of the foreground. The artist strives to multiply the many details, whether it be figures, costumes, flowers or vegetation, in order to demonstrate his know-how and the perfection of his execution. The acidulous palette with fresh and varied colours is characteristic of Hendrick Van Balen's works. There are several versions identical to ours with similar dimensions painted by Hendrick Van Balen and his workshop. Related works: • Koller Auction, Zurich, 21/09/2007, oil on copper, 28,5 x 37,4 cm. • Staatliche Kunsthalle, Karlsruhe, Inv. N° 809 (oil on copper, 40 x 53,5 cm) • Auktionshaus für Altertümer Glückselig, Vienne, 10/05/1932, ( oil on copper, 34 x 42 cm) • Gemäldegalerie of Pommersfelden, Schloss Weissenstein, oil on panel, 47 x 64 cm Hendrick Van Balen, Flemish painter, born and died in Antwerp (1575-1632). A pupil of Adam Van Noort, he entered the Guild of St. Luke in 1593, later trained in Italy and was Van Dyck's first teacher. He often painted small figures taken from scenes from the Bible or classical mythology, on paintings whose backgrounds and landscapes were painted by Josse de Momper...

James Thornhill (1674-1735) Oil on canvas 12 x 14 inches; 16 ½ x 18 ½ in. Inc. frame The subject matter and inclusion of herms on both sides shows the influence of Louis...

A fine pair of huge Italian 18' century Capriccio with Classical ruins, tempera oil on canvas . Atr.Pietro Paltronieri, il Mirandolese (Mirandola 1673-1741 Bologna). Measurements ...

Adriaen van Stalbemt (Antwerp, 1580-1662) Allegory of Peace and War, circa 1620-1630 Oil on oak panel: h. 49.5 cm, l. 73.2cm (19.29 x 28.74 in) Giltwood ...

Cristoforo (Cristofano) Roncalli (Pomarance, Italy, 1552 - Rome, Italy, 1626) Title: Saint Catherine of Siena chooses the crown of thorns Medium: Oil on wood Dimensions: without frame 101.5 x 59.5 cm - with frame 120 x 76 cm Shaped, carved and sculpted wooden cassetta frame, partly gilded and partly ebonized wood Expertise by Marco Ciampolini and Alessandro Nesi, art historians The marvellous scene that opens before our eyes is that of Christ's apparition to Saint Catherine of Siena; she must choose between a golden crown, the symbol of earthly royalty, and a crown of thorns, the symbol of virtuous Christian sacrifice. Catherine does not hesitate to choose the crown of thorns, her life in imitation of...

Hans de Jode (The Hague, 1630 - Vienna, 1663) Fantasy winter landscape with lake and city on the banks About 1650 Oils on canvas (62 x 93, in frames 82 x 112) The work is accompanied by an expertise of Dr. Fred G...

Idyllic landscape with myhological story of Cephalus and Procris Early 17th century Italian school Workshop Of Paul Bril (Antwerp, 1554 - Roma, 1626) Oil on poplar panel: H. 28 cm (1...

William John Huggins (1781-1845) A Ship in Two Positions Off Dover oil on canvas Unsigned 33 x 45 inches, inc. frame William John Huggins, of wh...

Joris Abrahamsz van der Haagen Heron Shoot in a Landscape 1615-1669 Oil on oak panel, signed 'JAH' lower left Image size: 16 x 21 inches (41 x 53 cm) Dutch ebonised frame Provenance...

The Italian Classical Landscape Italian artist, circa 1800's oil on canvas laid on board, framed framed: 9.5 x 13 inches board: 7 x 11 inches provenance: private collection condition...

Vincenzo Re (Parma, Italy, 1695 - Naples, Italy, 1762) Title: The Pool of Bethesda Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: without frame 50 x 62 cm - wi...

The Rape of Europa By Peter Sion (Antwerp, 1624-1695) Signed in the lower right corner P. Sion 17th century Antwerp School Oil on copper, dim. h. 53 cm, w. 45 cm Moulded and ebonized...

Fishing at Dawn English artist after an earlier work (see inscription verso) signed oil painting on canvas, framed inscribed verso framed: 23 x 31 inches canvas: 18 x 26inches proven...

Richard Wilson (Montgomeryshire, UK, 1714 - Denbigshire, UK, 1782) Title: Landscape Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: without frame 33 × 42,5 cm Painting without frame Not signed Ex...

Antonio Calza (Verona, 1653 – Verona 1725) Battle between Christian and Turkish cavalry Oil on canvas 47 x 85 cm In frame 66 x 105 cm Here we see a fierce battle between Ch...

Giuseppe Antonio Pianca (Agnona di Borgosesia, Italy, 1703 - Milan, Italy, 1762) Title: Shepherd with Goat and River Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: without frame 49 x 57 cm - wit...

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". ...

Rest during the Flight into Egypt - The Virgin and Child with St. John the Baptist and the angels in a Landscape. Attributed to Pieter Van Avont (1600-1652) 17th century Antwerp School, circa 1630 Oil on oak panel, Dimensions: h. 38 cm, w. 50 cm (14.96 in x 19.68 in) Flemish style frame in ebonized and moulded wood Framed: h. 56 cm, w. 68.5 cm (22.04 in. x 26.97 in.) In the heart of a lush wooded landscape, the Virgin with Jesus rests in a green clearing accompanied by Saint John the Baptist and the cherubs. Seated to the left of the composition, the Virgin Mary holds the Child on her lap; the little Saint John the Baptist wearing the camel-skin tunic (his attribute) stands before Jesus to exchange a few caresses. On the right, the couple of cherubs are playing with the lamb of Saint John the Baptist, bringing a jovial character to the scene. A pair of gardening putti on the left pick flowers to bring bouquets to the Virgin and Jesus. Spring flowers such as tulips, daffodils and anemones that grow abundantly around them and enrich the composition with their shimmering colors. A lush rose bush blooms to the left of the figures offering delicate roses. (The rose is the flower associated with the Virgin Mary, who is the "mystical rose," the one that does not bear the "thorn of sin") At the feet of the Virgin are bunches of grapes (symbol of the future passion of Christ) as well as apples (symbol of the original fall of Man but also of the Redemption in Christ) In the foreground we find a wicker basket filled in profusion with beautiful flowers and guinea pigs nibbling on the blades of grass. In a cleverly arranged disorder, these elements of the still life with their strong symbolic power accentuate the religious theme, but are also an opportunity for the artist to demonstrate his know-how in the still life genre that is gaining momentum in Antwerp. The landscape behind the figures consists of a large tree with a twisted trunk and a luminous opening to the horizon placed on the right. We see Saint Joseph arriving with a donkey, a small reminder from the artist that the composition is associated with the episode of Rest during the flight into Egypt. The calm expanse of this bucolic forest opening onto the luminous distance, with its profusion of symbolic flowers and fruits, is particularly suited to this sacred scene. The theme of Jesus' sacrifice and his tragic fate is mitigated by cherubs who play with innocence and carelessness in the face of the fragility of life symbolized by cut flowers. The great mastery of the painter is manifested by the finesse of the drawing enhanced by the delicacy in the application of the brushstrokes bringing a multitude of details. The richness of the whole is exacerbated thanks to the choice of colours, this varied palette is an undeniable asset of our work. The virtuosity of our artist lies in his versatility, as much concerned with the success of the landscape and flowers as with the modelling of his figures. The cherubs with their naked bodies are gracefully illuminated by warm colours with subtle shadows, while the still life is rendered with astonishing realism, both in the precision of the drawing and in the countless shades of the flowers. There are several compositions similar to ours, of which below are the closest versions: • Sale, Jean-Claude Anaf et Associés, Lyon, 08/02/1998, attributed to Pieter Van Avont, oil on panel, h. 48 cm, l. 71 cm (recorded on RKD n° 31451). Comment: identical composition, only St Joseph with the donkey is different) • Christie's New York sale, 29/01/1998, Pieter Van Avont, oil on copper, h. 23.8 cm, w. 24.8 cm • Dorotheum sale, Vienna, 25/04/2017, Pieter Van Avont and Jan Breughel II, oil on copper, h .26 cm, w. 39 cm • Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia, Pieter Van Avont, oil on panel, h. 50.5 cm, w. 71.7 cm Peter van Avont, Flemish painter (Mechelen, 1600 - Antwerp. 1652) Born in Mechelen, he is mentioned in 1620 as a member of the painters' guild of his hometown. He left in 1 622 for Antwerp, where he was also a member of the guild. He collaborated with many painters, including Jan Brueguel the Younger, David Vinckboons, Lucas van Uden...

Russian oil painting 'The Chase' signed C. Stoiloff Russian, early 20th Century Frame: Height 84cm, width 122cm, depth 7cm Canvas: Height 66cm, wi...

William Louis Sonntag Sr. was an American Landscape painter and a member of the Hudson River School movement. He was an Academician of the National Academy of Design. His work is in ...

Provenance: Sotheby’s December 5th 2006, Lot 388 Bout was a Flemish painter, draughtsman and etcher. He is known mainly for his landscapes, city, coast and country views and archite...

Giovanni Domenico Gambone (1720 - 1793) Title: Pair of Capricci Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: without frame 85 x 112 cm - with frame 97 x 124 cm The price is intended for the c...

Roman landscape painter of the eighteenth century - Entourage by Paolo Anesi (Rome 1697 - 1773) River landscape of the Lazio countryside, with the Tiber fl...

Hans de Jode (The Hague, 1630 - Vienna, 1663) Fantasy winter landscape with bridge and tower About 1650 Oils on canvas (62 x 93, in frames 82 x 112) The work is accompanied by an expertise of Dr. Fred G...

Pair of views of Rotterdam: The Stock Exchange building / View of the canal with the old port Eighteenth-century Vedutist painter oils on canvas 47 x 66 cm. - with frame 56 x 75 cm. This pleasant pair of paintings depict two glimpses of the city of Rotterdam, investigated here as vivid documentaries of the habits and customs from the public life of the wealthy Dutch port city, as well as one of the founders of the Dutch East India Company, is an excellent example of 18th century Vedutism We see, in particular, in the first work the monumental Palazzo della Borsa (defined as Il Beurs), designed by the architect Adriaen van der Werff in Westnieuwland, initially a place destined for legislation on trade, where merchant-bankers met periodically to exchange securities credit and enter into sales; it is located on the bank of the Nordblaak River and shot with the Gaapers Bridge in the foreground. The second work immortalizes the docking of the ancient port of Rotterdam, with the foreground view of the two city gates (the Wester Old Hoofdpoort on the left and the Ooster Oude Hoofdpoort on the right); in the background on the left the St. Laurenskerk (Church of San Lorenzo), also called the Great Church of Rotterdam, is the only medieval structure, while on the right the English Church. Very well executed, characterized by a marked brightness and a chromatic range with bright colors and highlighted by the contrast between lights and shadows, our canvases are a very interesting testimony of eighteenth-century Rotterdam, portraying two of the views that have historically influenced a lot on economic history of the city. We can attribute the authorship to an author of the full eighteenth century, inspired by the pictorial style of the Italian landscape painters and whose iconography was presumably drawn from the numerous prints with perspective views made through the optical cameras. In particular, these views of Rotterdam draw their iconographic origin from a collection of perspective prints of the most influential European cities, made by the engraver Johann Balthasar Probst (1732-1801), characterized by a remarkable refinement in the line, at the service of a sense of perspective of undoubted value, and above all characterized by a strong Nordic taste. Descendant of a large family of Augsburg engravers, Probst contributed to making his workshop an important European publishing center between the 17th and 18th centuries, among the major German print publishers in the first half of the 18th century. Despite his travels, including in Italy, between Venice, Rome and Naples, not all the cities he portrayed were drawn from life but taken from earlier prints and drawings and filtered through northern European clichés. Many of these engravings have been lost and are now difficult to find on the antiques market.

The Musical Contest between Apollo and Marsyas, by Peter Sion (Antwerp, 1624-1695) Signed in the lower right corner P. Sion 17th century Antwerp School Oil on copper, dim. h. 53 cm, ...

Landscape in Holland (titled verso) Dutch School, 20th century signed oil painting on canvas, framed framed: 30 x 42 inches canvas: 24 x 36 inches provenance: private collection, Eng...

Roman school of the 17th/18th century The nymph Daphne with Cupid Oil on canvas 49 x 57 cm Framed 69 x 75 cm This extremely pleasing and decorative painting depicts a nymph ...

John Rathbone (1750-1807) View at Tivoli Signed lower right Oil on Canvas Canvas size - 18 x 24 in Framed size - 24 x 30 in John Rathbone was born in Cheshire in 1750 and worked as ...

Pieter Mulier known as Tempesta (Haarlem, Netherland, 1637 - Milan, Italy, 1701) Title: Landscape Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: without frame 49 x 65...

Here Gaspard Dughet offers us an idyllic vision of the Roman countryside. The stages follow one another in a perfectly structured composition, revealing here a lake, there travellers walking along, gradually leading our eye to the blue horizon. But behind its classical composition, this landscape is particularly interesting because of three anthropomorphic details that the artist has hidden, opening the way to a radically different interpretation... 1. Gaspard Dughet, a landscape artist in the light of Poussin Gaspard Dughet was born on June 4th, 1615 in Rome where his father, of French origin, was a pastry cook. He was probably named Gaspard in honour of his godfather Baron Gaspard de Morant, who was, or may have been, his father's employer. His older sister Jeanne married the painter Nicolas Poussin (1594 - 1655) on September 1st, 1630. The young Gaspard was apprenticed with his brother-in-law at the beginning of 1631, which led his entourage to name him Gaspard Poussin. The first preserved works of the painter date from the years 1633-1634 and were painted in Poussin’s studio. Around 1635, Gaspard Dughet became emancipated and began to frequent the Bamboccianti circle. In 1636, he became friends with the painter Jean Miel (1599 - 1656), but also with Pier Francesco Mola (1612 - 1666) and Pietro da Cortona (1596 - 1669). This was also the time of his first trips throughout Italy. The painter, although of French origin, appears never to have visited France. In 1646 he settled permanently in Rome. A recognized painter with a solid book of orders, he remained faithful to landscape painting throughout his life, alternating between cabinet paintings and large decorative commissions, using both oil and fresco. Nailed to his bed by rheumatic fever at the age of 58, he died on May 25, 1675. 2. Discovering an idealized landscape Beyond a relatively dark foreground that takes us into the landscape, we discover a vast bluish horizon: a plateau surrounded by deep ravines advances to the right, overhanging an expanse of water that sparkles below. A road winds through a mountainous mass as if leading us to the fortress that crowns it; another town appears in the distance at the foot of three conical mountains. The composition is rigorous, mineral, and structured by geometric volumes. The various stages in the landscape lead one to the next attracting the eye towards the horizon located in the middle of the canvas. The general impression is that of a welcoming and serene nature. In many places the paint layer has shrunk, or become transparent, revealing the dark red preparation with which the canvas was covered and accentuating the contrasts. Human presence is limited to three jack players, leaning against a mound in the foreground. Their long garments, which may evoke Roman togas, contribute to the timelessness of the scene. Close examination of the canvas reveals two other travellers on the path winding between the rocks. Made tiny by the distance, their introduction in the middle register, typical of Dughet's art, lengthens the perspective. While it is difficult to date the work of a painter who devoted his entire life to the representation of landscapes, it is certain that this painting is a work from his later years. The trees that occupied the foreground of his youthful compositions have been relegated to the sides, a stretch of water separates us from the arid mountains counterbalanced by two trees represented on the opposite bank. The introduction of this stretch of water in the middle of the landscape betrays the influence of the Bolognese and in particular of the Dominiquin (1581 - 1641) A number of similarities with a drawing in the British Museum might suggest a date around 1656-1657, since, according to Marie-Nicole Boisclair , it has been compared with the Prado's Landscape with the Repentant Magdalene, painted at that period. 3. Three amazing anthropomorphic details While some late Renaissance landscapes offer a radical double reading, allowing one to see both a face or a human body behind the representation of a landscape, it seems interesting to us to hypothesize that Gaspard Dughet had fun here by slipping in a few details that, taken in isolation, evoke human or animal figures. We will give three examples, looking closely at a cloud, the trunk of a broken tree and the top of a cliff. The main cloud could thus evoke a Christ-like face or that of an antique god...

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...