18th Century and Earlier Paintings

18th century Dutch old master oil, A boy playing the flute by Margaretha Wulfraet The present painting captures a young boy standing gracefully in a sunlit park, his fingers resting...

Agnolo di Cosimo, known as 'il Bronzino' (Monticelli of Florence, 1503 – Florence, 1572) The Holy Family with San Giovannino Oil on table (120 x 90cm. - I...

A rare & important Italian Renaissance tempera on parchment painting, Giuseppe Cesari Il Cavalier d'Arpino (Giuseppe Cesari, 1568-1640), the painting c...

17th Century Neapolitan Maestro Title: San Vincenzo Ferreri Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: without frame 63 x 48.5 cm - with frame 77 x 63.5 cm Original shaped, carved, sculpted a...

Francesco Tironi (Venice 1745 - Venice 1797) - Venetian landscape with shepherds and herds. 95 x 130 cm without frame, 107 x 140 cm with frame. Antique oil painting on canvas, in a...

Christ surrounded by angels in the desert Circle of Pietro da Cortona, born as Pietro Berrettini (Cortona 1597 - Rome 1669) Oils on canvas (66 x 50 cm. - in frame 80 x 64 cm.) The ...

Roman school late 17th - early 18th century - Follower of Niccolò Codazzi (Naples, 1642 - Genoa, 1693) Pair of fantastic architectural whims with class...

Oil on canvas realized in Italy ih the late 17th Century. The painting depicts the episode from Genesis (21, 9-21) in which the servant Hagar, together woth her little son Ishmael b...

The sitter, seated in a yellow silk gown trimmed with a pink bow playing the cello, is believed to be the artist Balthazar Denner's eldest daughter Catharina (1715-1744), after his marriage to Esther Winter in Hamburg in 1712. She is also recognisable in another portrait of the Denner family in the Hamburg Kunsthalle, painted circa 1740 by the artist's son, Jacob Denner (1722-1765). Oil on canvas in a period giltwood frame. Provenance: Private collection, Northern Germany Professor Helmut Borsch-Supan, Berlin, confirmed the authenticity of the painting after examining it in 2013. The painting will also be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonnée of the artist, by Ute Mannhardt. Balthasar Denner...

This early 18th-century oil painting attributed to Austrian artist, Franz de Paula Ferg (1689-1740), depicts the Commedia dell’Arte performing in a busy Italian village square. Ferg ...

FINE ORIGINAL ANTIQUE 18th CENTURY BRITISH OLD MASTER OIL PAINTING MAN O WAR IN HARBOUR Description Good Condition canvas but very old with some browning in places (see picture). C...

Portrait Of King Edward VI (1537-1553) King Of England after William SCROTS (1510-1553) Large circa 17th Century portrait of Edward VI, King Of England, oil on canvas. Excellent quality and condition half length portrait of the only surviving son of King Henry VIII and Jane Seymour wearing Prince Of Wale Feathers and the crown upon a pendant. Exceptional quality distinctly similar to the works of court painter William Scrots. Presented in a gilt & ebony frame. Measurements: 40" x 34" framed approx Provenance: The estate of Richard Philip...

After Raphael Conestabile Madonna 1483 - 1520 Oil on canvas Image size: 8 x 8 inches (20.5 x 20.5 cm) Original ornate hand carved gilt frame Conestabile Madonna Made in compositiona...

Oil on canvas. Mittel-European School. There is a No.S monogram on the back and numbers probably from an inventory. The painting reminds of pieces from the Austrian area. It represen...

A captivating Dutch genre painting in the manner of Pieter de Hooch (1629-1684). A couple can be seen taking tea together in a roomy interior with afternoon light flooding in from a ...

Flemish Mannerist painter Early 17th century Portrait of Hermes Trismegistus (Egyptian alchemist who lived in the 13th century BC) Oil on panel 41 x 33 cm In antique frame 51 x 43 cm The work belongs to a series of three paintings, together with portraits of the alchemists Geber and Morieno Romano The painting depicts an alchemist, an ancient figure who has always been shrouded in fascination and mystery due to his perfect blend of science and esotericism, who sought to achieve omniscience, or the highest level of knowledge in all fields of learning. Among the great goals of alchemy was the search for the elixir of eternal life or the transformation of base metals into gold, a practice that was believed to be achievable through the “philosopher's stone”. The alchemist, with his secret practices and knowledge, is therefore a figure described as straddling the line between scholar and magician, capable of extraordinary transformations, well represented here by a Flemish Mannerist painter active between the 16th and 17th centuries. In our case, it is, in particular, the portrait of Hermes Trismegistus, a legendary figure from the Hellenistic age, sometimes considered a deity (identified by the Greeks with the Egyptian god Thoth) and sometimes a man, considered the founder of alchemy and the master of all occult sciences, as well as of the philosophical current known as Hermeticism. Venerated as a master of wisdom, he is believed to be the author of the “Corpus Hermeticum”, a collection of writings, mainly in Greek, containing philosophical, theological and magical teachings, considered to originate from ancient wisdom. The alchemist holds an unrolled parchment in his hand, on which we can read the phrase “quod est superius est sicut quod inferius et quod inferius est sicut quod est superius”, taken from the Emerald Tablet...

Swans Startled by Dog Flemish Old Master, 18th century unsigned (as is typical of the period) oil on bevelled wood panel, framed framed: 14.5 x 17 inches panel: 10 x 13 inches proven...

This painting is dated 1969 and signed by the artist Saint-Lou. The painting depicts three musicians with flowing hair, playing the clarinet, trumpet, and accordion. The stylistic a...

Rare pair of Italian paintings from the second half of the 17th century. Oil on canvas artworks depicting two splendid female figures recognizable thanks to the inscriptions at the b...

This superb 18th century Old Master floral still life oil painting is attributed to Flemish artist Pieter Casteels III. Painted circa 1730 it is a garland or swag of flowers, somethi...

Wonderful 18th century Irish or English portrait, attributed to the Irish painter Nathaniel Hone. Nathaniel Hone was born in Dublin but by 1748 had set...

Cats Fighting, 17th Century attributed to David DE CONINCK (1642-1700) Large 17th Century interior scene of cats fighting, oil on canvas. Excellent quality and condition for its ag...

Jacob De Heusch (Utrecht, Netherlands, 1657 – Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1701) Title: Pair of Landscapes Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: without frame 50 x 8...

Follower of Jacopo Da Ponte, known as Jacopo Bassano (Bassano del Grappa ca. 1510 - Bassano del Grappa 1592) - Christ Mocked. 38.5 x 47 cm without frame, 48 x 58 cm with frame. Ant...

This stunning Italian Capriccio Old Master landscape oil painting is attributed to circle of Giovanni Paolo Panini. Painted circa 1740 it is a fantastic view of the Temple of Sibyl, ...

Three Figures in a Landscape Continental School, late 18th century after the earlier painting by Murillo oil on canvas, framed Framed: 31.5 x 35 inches Canvas: 26 x 36.5 inches Prove...

Oil on Canvas. Inside a 'tavern, some patrons are playing cards: the man seated to the left cheats, hiding a card in the collar of his lisa tunic, under the amused gaze of the 'innke...

Catherine of Braganza (1638–1705), Circle of Sir Peter Lely (1618–1680) Queen consort of England, Scotland, and Ireland, married to King Charles...

This superb French Old Master oil painting with excellent provenance is by Jean Francois I Millet. It was painted circa 1675 and is a figurative landscape depicting Diana hunting in ...

This exquisite 18th-century portrait depicts a young girl, delicately rendered in the style of Sir Godfrey Kneller, one of the most celebrated portrait painters of the Baroque period...

The painting, done in oil on canvas, depicts the meeting between King David and Abigail, as narrated in the biblical text from the First Book of Samuel (I Samuel 25:1-34). David, left without food in the wilderness with his army, seeks relief from the wealthy Nabal, who contemptuously denies him any help, ungrateful of the benevolence he previously received from the king. Upon hearing the rejection, the ruler intends to take revenge by killing his entire lineage. Abigail, Nabal's beautiful and wise wife, decides to right the wrong and bring David plenty of food and gifts. In the king's presence the woman humbles herself, winning his forgiveness and benevolence. Soon afterwards widowed, she will in fact become his bride. The broad scene depicts the climax of the Old Testament episode, the moment when the woman prostrates herself before David and his servants prepare to deliver the gifts. The biblical event is here a pretext, as is customary in modern-age painting, for staging the colorful description of a sumptuous procession, which can be divided into two parts, almost two wings of a crowd divided specularly: on the left David with his dignitaries and the army; on the other, Abigail's retinue, handmaids, servants leading dromedaries and donkeys laden with food. The crowded group of figures is set in a natural proscenium: above a low horizon, barely hinted at by distant blue mountains, rises on the left side a craggy rocky cliff, the shelter of the army led by the ruler. The 'somatic intonation of the characters, as well as the choice of metallic chromatics and the play of light on the shiny fabrics refer to a clear Flemish matrix, particularly the influence of the frothy and sumptuous painting of Rubens and Van Dyck. As well set forth in the expert report prepared by Professor Giuseppe Sava, the work is to be attributed to Vincent Malò...

The painting "The Road to Emmaus in a Landscape" by Gillis de Hondecoeter is a masterful example of early 17th-century Dutch landscape painting. The sce...

Miss Ada Gossett, circa 1673, half-length in a landscape at dusk, wearing an amber silk gown adorned with a gold trimmed gauze shawl and fine jewels, wearing a pearl necklace, her fa...

Circle of Thomas Hudson (1701-1779) British. 18th Century Bust Portrait of a Lady, Oil on Canvas, Inscribed on a label verso, canvas: 30" x 25" (76.2 x 63.5cm). frame: 30 x 25 in...

‘The British Fleet with a Vice-Admiral of the Red off Dover’ by Dominic Serres R.A. (1722-1793). French-born Dominic Serres didn’t just paint the drama of...

18th century style, “Young aristocrat with pet dog”. The work is a modern copy of a portrait of Pierre Van Cortlandt, first lord of Van Cortlandt manor in NY. ...

Remembering the magic of everyday life moments in the art of David Teniers: The art of David Teniers the Younger (1610–1690) coincided with the heyday of the Flemish Baroque and captured a great variety of motifs of his time. In this painting of a seemingly simple peasant scene lies keys to understanding both the imaginative mind of Teniers as well as why this time period produced some of the most iconic works in all of art history.  As indicated by the name, Teniers was more or less born into his profession. As the son of David Teniers the elder, himself a painter who studied under Rubens, the younger David received training in art from a very young age and had no less than three brothers who also became painters. Because of his father’s frequent financial failures that even at times saw him imprisoned, David the younger helped to rescue the family from ruin through painting copies of old masters. Essentially, the young Teniers was confronted with painting as both a passion and creative expression as well as a necessity during difficult times, an experience that would shape much of his capacity and sensitivity in his coming life. Despite the hardships, the talent and determination of Teniers was recognized and quickly expanded his possibilities. He had already spent time in France and possibly also England when he was hired by his father’s former teacher Rubens to help with a prestigious commission with mythological paintings, now considered lost, for Philip IV the king Spain. In 1644–54 Teniers was appointed dean of the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke, manifesting his esteemed position within the artistic community. A few years afterwards he took an important step when relocating to Brussels, where Teniers yet again found new career opportunities that would prove to be very successful. As the keeper of the collections of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm, a role similar to what we now refer to as an art advisor, Teniers purchased hundreds of important artworks that manifested the prominent status of the Archduke’s collection while at the same time providing an unusual access to inspiration and knowledge for Teniers himself. Since he kept on painting during the same time, his creative scope must have seemed almost bewildering in the great variety of images and stories that he surrounded himself with.  Regardless of how glamorous and culturally stimulating the career of Teniers was, he was as open to the charm and existential importance of everyday life as he was to works of great masters and luxurious collectibles. In his impressive repertoire of genres with everything from exquisite royal portraits, interiors, landscapes and history paintings he always added something new and inventive, highlighting the possibilities of art and importance of an experimental and intuitive mind. It is difficult to single out one aspect or genre to summarize his legacy, since it lies much more in the broad virtuosity across many motifs, although he is particularly remembered for farm scenes and meticulously depicted interiors where other paintings and artworks are captured with an astonishing precision. However, the fact that he is still today one of the most known and celebrated names of the Dutch Golden Age is a proof to the magic of his work, which continues to spark dialogue and wonder in the contemporary viewer of his works. The farm boy in the field in this painting, which likely dates to the mature part of his career, is a wonderful entry into the mind of Teniers. In the tightly cropped motif, we see him standing right in the middle of the busy harvest when men, women and everyone capable were sent out in the field to collect the crop that formed the very core of their diet and survival. In the background we see a fresh blue sky interspersed with skillfully painted clouds, some trees reaching their autumnal colours and in the far distance the glimpse of a small church and village. The presence of a church in a landscape, so typical of Dutch art, served both a symbolic and visual function as a representation of faith while at the same time defining scale and distance. In the field, the work is in full action with the farmers spread out in various positions, all in the midst of hard and sweaty labour. While they are portrayed as having nothing else than the work on their mind, our farm boy seems to have his attention directed elsewhere. Standing there with his white, half open shirt, flowy curls and strong, sturdy body; his gaze is directed away, out of the picture and the scythes in his hands. He looks almost smirking, expressed with tremendous subtlety in the slight smile of his lips and big eyes, being just in the middle of losing focus on the work. What is it that steals his attention? What has he seen, or realized, or felt – to break him free of the arduous task of harvesting, if but for a moment? Here starts the wondering and the questions that are the hallmark of a great piece of art. Instead of explicitly locking in the motif in overly clear symbolism Teniers has chosen an open ended, subtle yet striking moment for us to consider. While it of course can be related to numerous other farm scene depictions of this time, and clever usages of gazes and real-life scenes to underscore various moral or symbolic meanings, the painting can be much more of a contemplation than an explanation or illustration. The ordinary nature and understated yet emotionally textured composition of the motif gives greater space for our own reactions and thoughts. Has he seen a pretty farm girl just passing by? Is he fed up with the farm life, joyously dreaming away for a minute, imagining another future? Or is he simply in need of distraction, looking away and ready for anything that can steal his attention? One quality that never seem to have escaped Teniers was that of curiosity. During all of his career he constantly investigated, expanded and experimented with not only the style and technique of painting, but with the vision of art itself. Being credited with more or less introducing farm motifs for a broader audience not only tells us of his ability to understand the demand for different motifs, but the sensitivity to transform seemingly ordinary parts of life into deep aesthetic experiences, far beyond their expected reach. The farm boy in this painting is, of course, exactly that. But with the help of one smirk the entire picture is charged with a different energy, awakening many contrasts and relationships between the calm landscape, the hard work and his own breach of effectivity, holding sharp scythes while thinking or seeing something else. It is no wonder Teniers chose to work with farm scenes as a way of investigating these intricate and delicate plays on expectations and surprises, clarity and ambivalence. It invites us to an appreciation of human everyday life that connects us with the people of 17th century...

« A Mediterranean capriccio » Oil on canvas by Abraham STORCK With an appraisal by René Millet ( Well Known French Expert in Paris) Within a tortoise-shell Turtle This oil on canvas...

Tiziano Vecellio (Pieve di Cadore 1490 - Venice 1576) follower of Portrait of the emperor Julius Caesar (Rome 100 BC - 44 BC), inscribed above C. IVLIVS. CAESAR Portrait of the Emperor Octavian Augustus (Rome 63 BC - 14 BC), inscribed on top OCTAVIANUS II ROM IMP 17th century oil painting on canvas Measurements (cm.): 65 x 50, with frame 81 x 68 cm. The Latin writer Suetonius with his work 'De vita Caesarum' (and in particular with his tradition in the vernacular of 1543, edited by the Florentine scholar Paolo del Rosso) inspired Tiziano Vecellio who, in 1537, painted for Duke Frederick II of Gonzaga portraits of the eleven emperors, adorning the walls for a small room in the Palazzo Ducale in Mantua, later known as the Cabinet of the Caesars. These effigies were intended to establish the link between the new era and classicism with its splendor, as well as to celebrate the value and wisdom of the rulers, who perceived themselves, in their lordships, as valiant new emperors. Titian's paintings soon became enormously popular and many patrons and lords of the time, including Ferdinando d'Avalos, Marquis of Pescara and Governor of Milan or Vespasiano Gonzaga, turned to the workshop of the Cremonese Bernardino Campi...

Portrait of Thomas Collard (rector of Withycombe, Somerset 1670-1691) the city depicted in the distance is thought to be Antwerp. the portrait historically has been thought to be fr...

Diana The Huntress and her Cherubs Northern European artist, circa 1680's period oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 20 x 60.5 inches provenance: private collection, UK condition: some p...

Christ Wearing The Crown Of Thorns, 17th Century circle of Carlo Dolci (1616-1686) Large 17th Century Italian Old Master of Christ wearing the Crown of Thorns, oil on canvas. Excel...

Matteo Bonechi (Florence, Italy, 1669 - Florence, Italy, 1756) Title: Presentation of Jesus Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: without frame 75 x 49 cm – with frame 89.5 x 65 cm Shaped, carved and gilded wooden box frame Expertise by Sandro Bellesi, Professor and art historian Fairs: The International Biennial of Antiques in Florence 2022 (BIAF, Biennale Internazionale dell’Antiquariato di Firenze) Publications: Bozzetti, modelletti, sketches: dalla collezione di Giorgio Baratti (From the Giorgio Baratti Collection) curated by Anna Orlando, Agnese Marengo and Annalisa Scarpa, Genova, 2022, pp. 20, 21. The present painting is a very interesting testimony of the creative process of Matteo Bonechi, one of the leading artists on the Tuscan art scene in the early 18th century. The canvas in question is in fact the last preparatory model made by Bonechi before he executed an altarpiece for the church of San Filippo Neri in Cortona in 1716. The scene presented here is that of the Presentation of Jesus, when, forty days after his birth, the child is ransomed through an offering in the temple and placed in the hands of Simeon, who prophesies his future: the coming of the Messiah...

Naval Shipping in Stormy Seas English School, 18th century circle of Charles Brooking, (1723-1759) oil painting on canvas: 16.5 x 21.5 inches Morland ...

A FEAST OF THE GODS WITH VENUS AND BACCHUS Collections: With Appleby Brothers, London, June 1957; Hazlitt, Gooden & Fox, London, 1961; John and Eileen Harris, acquired from the above, to 2015. Literature: Jacob Simon and Ellis Hillman, English Baroque Sketches: The Painted Interior in the Age of Thornhill, 1974, cat. no.12 (as by Louis Laguerre); Elizabeth Einberg (ed.), Manners and Morals: Hogarth and British Painting, 1700-1760, exh. cat., London (Tate Gallery), 1987, cat. no.10 (as by Louis Laguerre); Tabitha Barber and Tim Bachelor, British Baroque: Power and Illusion, exh. cat., London (Tate Britain), 2020. Exhibited: Twickenham, Marble Hill House, English Baroque Sketches: The Painted Interior in the Age of Thornhill, 1974, no.12 (as by Louis Laguerre); London, Tate Gallery, Manners and Morals: Hogarth and British Painting, 1700-1760, 1987, no.10 (as by Louis Laguerre); London, Tate Britain, British Baroque: Power and Illusion, cat. no 92, 2020. CUPID AND PSYCHE BEFORE JUPITER Collections: With Appleby Brothers, London, June 1957; Hazlitt, Gooden & Fox, London, 1961; Anthony Hobson, acquired from the above, to 2015. These recently re-united paintings are the most ambitious surviving baroque ceiling sketches made in Britain in the early eighteenth century. From the Restoration until the rise of Palladianism in the 1720s decorative history painting formed the preeminent artistic discipline in Britain. It was a field dominated by Continental artists including the Italian Antonio Verrio and the Frenchmen Louis Laguerre and Louis Chéron...

18th century painting Cavalry Oil on wood panel 16 x 21.5 cm

Circle or Follower of David Teniers, Peasant in a Tavern Inn, drinking and smoking. Oil on canvas, Framed: 39 x 47 cm. Typical Flemish Baroque Interior...

Attributed to Jan Gerritsz. Stockman (1603–1661) "Paesaggio Classico con Figure" (Classical Landscape with Figures) Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions (Framed): 162 x 146 cm Dimensions...

This lovely Dutch Old Master oil painting is attributed to artist Pieter Wouwerman. Painted circa 1660 it is figurative landscape with horseback travellers and their dogs in the foreground approaching ruins on their left. Beyond is a river snakes through the landscape, beneath the fading light of approaching dusk. There are some superb details making this an excellent Dutch Golden Age oil painting...

David Finsonius (Veere 1597- Bergen op Zoom 1646/1648) Portrait of a girl with a rose and a red coral necklace With traces of the artist’s signature and annotated AETATIS S.V. 2 1⁄2 Ao 1631 Oil on panel, H. 104.5 x 79.5 cm Provenance: Purchased by Jonkheer Helenus Marius Speelman (1857-1909), Kasteel de Wittenburg; thence by descent The work shows a strong resemblance to a portrait by Finsonius in the North Brabant Museum. This signed and dated "Girl with Basket and Cherries" (Inv. 15529), was painted just a year later, in 1632. Not only are the paintings remarkably similar in overall size and format, in painting style, and in the positioning of the girls in full length in their white lace dresses. They are also connected by the iconographic scheme of the respective coral necklaces, each with a gold memorial medal hanging from it. Although they are of course individuals, the faces are very similar in their depictions of features such as eyes, nose, and lips. This points to the same technique applied by the same painter. Finally, the handwriting is almost the same on the works by Finsonius known so far. About the painter, David Finson named 'Finsonius' (related to the better-known Louis Finson...

Exhibited: London, Royal Academy, 1800, no. 93 What was happening in British history painting in around 1800? In recent discussions of the emergence of a British School of history painting following the foundation of the Royal Academy in 1768, this is a question which is rarely posed and one which is not easily answered. Examination of surviving Royal Academy exhibition catalogues reveals a profusion of artists’ names and titles, few of which remain immediately recognizable, whilst endeavours to explain the impact of exhibition culture on painting - such as the 2001 Courtauld show Art on the Line - have tended to focus on the first and second generation of Royal Academician, rather than young or aspiring artists in the early nineteenth century. This makes the discovery and identification of the work under discussion of exceptional importance in making sense of currents in English painting around 1800. Executed by Edward Dayes...

A pair of 18th century Italian landscapes with classical ruins and figures, circa 1750. Circle of Giovanni Panini (1691-1765) Thomas Agnew and Sons, Lo...

Portrait of the Princess of Conti - Attributed to Louis Ferdinand Elle the Younger (1648-1717) Late 17th century French school Oil on canvas, h. 100 cm, l. 80 cm Important Louis XIV ...

Le misure senza la cornice in legno intagliata e dorata sono 97 x 72 cm. Il compianto su Cristo morto è uno dei temi più diffusi dell'arte cristiano cattolica, dove il corpo stesso ...

Examining with interest this "Sacred Scene" from the end of the 1500s/beginning of the 17th century (oil painting on canvas, 32 x 26 cm without frame and 40 x 33 cm with frame) representing the Madonna supporting the Infant Jesus on her knees, S. Giovannino with the lamb of god, I can say that it is a Cremona school close...

Flemish school, 17th century Orpheus and the animals Oil on canvas, 146,5 x 217 cm Provenance: South German private collection. On an impressive, room-filling format, this painting depicts "Orpheus and the Animals." The harp-playing Orpheus sits centrally in front of a tree whose trunk bifurcates above his head. This central tree frames with its crown the scenery towards the horizon and at the same time offers through branches the possibility for many birds to find space. The left half of the picture is characterized by a seascape, at the edge of which the ruins of a castle can be seen deep in the background. This seascape, framed by mountains on the horizon, is the only area where sky can be seen. On this side, waterfowl such as storks, swans and ducks can be seen. In the right half, the viewer looks into a deep European forest. On this right side, more land animals can be found, such as deer, rabbits and lions, among others. Orpheus wears opulent red and gold trimmed clothing, under his blue breastplate we see a white shirt. His feet are adorned by elaborate sandals. His head is surrounded by a radiant laurel wreath ("poeta laureatus"). The young man is clearly identifiable as the singer and poet of Greek mythology, Orpheus, by his harp, the laurel wreath and the animals surrounding him. Orpheus was one of the Argonauts who, under Jason, was searching for the Golden Fleece. He sang so beautifully that he even conquered the angry sea and enemies by the magic of his lyre. During the journey, Orpheus is said to have drowned out even the sirens with his singing. It is said that he was the greatest of all poets and charmed people, animals, stones and trees with his singing. In total, 51 birds and 37 different species are depicted in the painting. The animals are mostly depicted in great detail and, except for a few, can be identified. Mainly European species of animals are shown. Exceptions are the ostrich-like nandu peeking out from behind the deer, as well as the large parrot on the upper left, and the two lions. Similar is the case for the large animal directly behind Orpheus on the right. The shape of the head suggests an arctic fox from the polar regions, even though the body is much too large. The arctic fox was first described in 1555 by Olaus Magnus. However, it could also be a depiction of a brown or black bear. An unusual detail is the animal, which is relatively isolated in the right background and looks to the left. It is not clearly identifiable, but it shows certain similarities with the Australian kangaroo. This was first described by Vespucci in 1500 and further by Francisco Pelsaert in 1629. If it is indeed a kangaroo, this would be one of the earliest surviving pictorial representations. In this painting, Orpheus is accompanied by a small monkey playing a viola da gamba. This is an iconographic peculiarity. In general, this painting has some peculiarities compared to other paintings with "Orpheus and the animals". The central positioning of Orpheus is quite common, but he usually holds a lyre and is dressed in an antique style, but not as opulently. The choice of animals is also remarkable: European animals in particular are seen, hardly any exotic features, such as camels or elephants. The two lions in the right foreground are a quotation from Peter Paul Rubens and his depiction of "Daniel in the Lion's Den", which was realized in an engraving. The present painting can be classified as belonging to the Flemish School of the 17th century on the basis of its painterly and compositional conception. From the circle of Jan Brueghel the Younger are numerous representations of this Orpheus - theme, which take it as an opportunity to show as many exotic animals. There are also echoes of Spanish painters such as Juan de Arellano...

La scena è dominata dalla croce, sulla quale risalta il corpo ben modellato e dal colore bianco brillanto di Cristo, dipinta con una prospettiva laterale. La parte sinistra è occupa...

Portrait of a lady, traditionally identified as Grace Loftus,of Beverley hall yorkshire.Three-quarter-length, before a window. Dressed in blue and wearing a white bonnet. The paintin...

A rich merchant is an original old master artwork realized in the 18th Century. Mixed colored oil painting on canvas depicting a merchant looking at a coin in his left hand. Provena...

Giovanni Battista Spinelli (Chieti, Italy, 1613 - Ortona, Italy, 1647) Title: Jacob's dream Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: without frame 98 x 135 cm - with frame 108 x 145 cm Expertise by Professor Nicola Spinosa Publications: From Sacro to Profano. The Giorgio...