18th Century and Earlier Paintings

Crucifixion, South Germany, 15th century, circa 1470-1480 Pine panel, oil and gold background Dimensions: h. 63 cm, w. 42 cm (24.8 in x 16.54 in) Our rare panel imbued with all the Gothic symbolism, presents one of the subjects that has become universal in Western art. The crucifixion of Jesus, recounted in all the gospels, is one of the episodes of the Passion of Christ. The contemplation of his death by the faithful is and has always been an intense devotional exercise. The suffering of Christ had to be made as realistic as possible by the artist, in order to move the spectators and create piety. Christ with his emaciated and collapsed body hangs on his cross. In an attitude of resignation and abandonment, his head crowned with thorns is leaned on his right shoulder, but the eyes still remain open under the eyebrows contracted by suffering. His wounds shed large drops of blood and clearly show how painful the torment he is enduring is. At the foot of the cross to her right, the Virgin swoons in the arms of Saint John out of compassion for the suffering of her Son. Behind them Saint Marie-Salomé with clenched hands and face twisted in pain looks at the Cross, near her another holy woman seen from behind. To his left, Joseph of Arimathea stands near the cross, his hand placed on the cross, like a gesture of protection to leave dignity to the dying. His face turned from the cross, a resigned look, suggests his complete helplessness in the face of Jesus' torture. Longinus the centurion carrying a spear and shield looks impassively before him, while another standard-bearer soldier contemplates the cross. The man who stands prominently in profile next to the cross of Christ and is highlighted by his rich clothes adorned with precious stones and his pointed hat with gold trim, is probably Levi, tax collector. This intimate scene with very tight framing, tightens the figures around the raised cross, the absence of landscape replaced here by a gold background which comes from the Italian pictorial tradition helps to reinforce the feeling of timelessness of the scene and of its sacred context, gold being assimilated to the divine world. Our work dates back to the last quarter of the 15th century; comparison with similar works (including dimensions) could suggest that it is an altarpiece element, typical of German art. The use of softwood allows us to establish the origin of our panel from southern Germany, Swabia or Bavaria. Related works: 1. Crucifixion, German School around 1470, oil on lime (57.5 cm x 31 cm), Dresden Old Masters Painting Gallery, inventory number: 1964 and 343 2. Crucifixion, around 1475 oil on lime 69 x 45.5 cm Stuttgart, National Museum of Württemberg, 3. Crucifixion, attributed to Wolfgang Katzheimer around 1480-1485, Forchheim, Catholic parish church of St. Martin 4. Crucifixion, around 1450, Schwabach, town church of St. John -et-Saint-Martin 5. Fainting of the Virgin and Christ on cross...

This work is a good example of the type of portrait popular in France during the last quarter of the 17th century. Depicted is a young girl with long hair and wearing a gown with billowing sleeves. By excluding elements such as props and a busy landscape the viewer focusses entirely on the beauty of the young sitter. The abundance of drapery and the whiteness of the skin with its pearlescent flesh tones and pink lips are direct references to wealth. The orange she holds is a symbol for love and marriage – she would have been considered marriageable age at the time. France, during this period, was the leading exponent of fashion and the arts to the rest of Europe and the fashions arose from the French court itself. France was also the centre for lace-making, silk, and brocade and its many goods were in high demand in other European countries. A feature of this portrait is its exquisite carved and gilded period frame, which is a work of art in its own right. The founder of the van Loo dynasty of painters was the Dutchman, Jacob van Loo...

Attributed to Arcangelo di Jacopo del Sellaio (Italian, c. 1441 - 1493) Moses and the first plague of Egypt The highly decorative frame...

Fine hand-coloured engravings of citrus fruits from the ""Nurnbergisch Hesperides"", published by Johannes Volckamer 1708-14, presented in our exclu...

18th century Italian old master for kings and queens, Giosue Scotti, possibly a self-portrait of the artist. Head and shoulders, wearing a a white blouse and a red cape in a typica...

Charles I is one of the most notorious monarchs in British history. His belief in his God-given right to rule, independent of Parliament, ultimately led to a divided nation and the death of around 200,000 Englishmen. In 1625 King Charles I (1600-1649) succeeded his father James I as king of Great Britain and Ireland. In 1632, on the invitation of Charles, Van Dyck arrived in London, and became his court painter creating images which expressed the king’s belief in his divine right to govern. This was an unusually close relationship to the king and queen and seemed to intensify after his return from Flanders in the spring of 1635. They clearly admired his work but most of the portraits that Van Dyke made of the king and queen during the latter half of the 1630s were not for the royal collection but were commissioned to be given away to relatives, friends, and loyal supporters. Over the course of nine years until his death he revolutionised portrait painting in England and Van Dyck’s style would later influence generations of portrait painters working in England. The present portrait probably dates from circa 1640. An imposing early image of the King, it is a fine version from a close follower of Van Dyck and derives from a type for which no certain original by the artist has survived. It most likely derives from the half-length in armour in the collection of the Duke of Norfolk at Arundel Castle, where the King’s left hand is shown resting on a helmet with a baton in his right hand. Many replicas and variations of this image were made and were intended for royal patrons, loyal subjects, foreign ambassadors, and followers of the Royalist cause. It was particularly popular and one of the most sought-after images of Charles during and after the Civil War, as royalist adherents sought images of the king as a military hero. In private houses, the display of a portrait of Charles I could not only demonstrate the owner’s loyalty to the king. In our portrait it is rare that the artist has furnished the portrait with the medieval Saint Edward’s Crown, as it appeared before its destruction in 1649 when Cromwell ordered the Royal regalia be “totally broken” as he had viewed it symbolic of the “detestable rule of kings”. A 1649 inventory detailed an “Imperial Crown of massy gold”, a “small crown”, and what was thought to be King Alfred’s Crown with “gold wirework, stones and two little bells”. It was thought to date back to the 11th century royal saint, Edward the Confessor (St Edward), the last Anglo-Saxon king of England and was used at the time of a coronation of British and English monarchs. The crown appears on the Coram Regis Rolls in 1643 which are legal documents overseen by the King (see image). The current Saint Edward’s Crown in the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom, is a later version of the medieval crown...

Medium: Oil on panel, with sgrafitto gilding Signed across the ledge at bottom: GIROLAMO COMA PINGEBAT 1563 This unusual painting –unusual in both technique and subject—is a rare ex...

18th century Italian old master for kings and queens, Giosue Scotti, possibly a self-portrait of the artist. Head and shoulders, wearing a a white blouse and a red cape in a typica...