Northern Renaissance Paintings

A masterful copy by an unknown artist, after the portrait of "Beatrice d'Este" by Leonardo Da Vinci also known as ‘Portrait of a Lady’ or ‘La Dama con la reticella di perle (The Lady With a Pearl Hairnet)’. The original work originally created in the 15th Century is currently on display in the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana Museum of Milan. Beatrice d'Este was the Duchess of Bari/Milan and was believed to be one of the most attractive princesses of the Renaissance. Her impeccable style won her many admirers throughout Italy and France, and she became a trendsetter of the highest order. This copy of the original painting, is an oil on canvas done in the 18th Century, and in this exquisite portrait, the artist has masterfully depicted the fine details with draped hair, pearls, royal dress, ornate headgear and sumptuous jewelry in front of a dark background. Once again, capturing the imagination with another enigmatic smile. It comes housed in an elegant period giltwood frame with ebonized trims and ready to be displayed with hanging wire on verso. Art measures 28 x 18 inches Frame measures 34.5 x 24.5 inches There is much debate and controversy over who actually painted the "Beatrice d'Este" was it Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519), or Giovanni Ambrogio de Predis (1455–1508). So we may never know who executed the original portrait which hangs in the museum, but that need not deter from an appreciation of its singularity. Following the portraiture convention established by painters of the Quattrocentro, the artist has chosen to portray his sitter in profile. In doing so, he magnificently captures the essence of his sitter, a girl on the threshold of womanhood. Bedecked in the adornments—silk, velvet, pearls and embroidery (brocade) crafted of spun gold threads—afforded her by birthright and marriage, Beatrice looks forward in noble serenity. And at the same time her profile with its upturned nose and slight smile betrays an innocence that must have been the basis of the oft-repeated epithet: la più zentil donna in Italia” (“the sweetest lady in Italy”). It is believed the lady is Beatrice d'Este (1475-1497), duchess of Bari and later of Milan, the wife of Ludovico Sforza (known as "il Moro"). One of the most beautiful princesses of the Italian Renaissance, she was known for her good taste in fashion. Beatrice was a member of the Este-Sforza family, which joined by marriage two of the oldest reigning and already powerful houses in Italy. The house of Este, which held court in Ferrara, traced its lineage to the 11th century Dukes of Saxony and Bavaria. Beatriceʼs father, Ercole I ruled the Ferrara commune for 34 years, catapulting the city-state (and the Estes with it) to an unmatched level of economic prosperity and cultural prominence. The family was renowned for its love of letters and patronage of the arts. The first time Leonardo da Vinci’s name resounded in the Ambrosiana, it was through the pen of its founder, Cardinal Federico Borromeo, who attributed this little panel to the great Master, describing it as “A portrait of a Duchess of Milan, by the hand of Leonardo”. Following the Cardinal’s statement, the portrait was for long assumed to depict Beatrice d’Este, the wife of Ludovico il Moro. However, scholars have recently been more cautious and vague in their statements, with regard to both the artist (anonymous Lombard or Emilian...

Item is in excellent condition and has only been displayed in a gallery setting. This painting was procured direct from the artist's studio. Cornelis le Mair is truly a renaissance man, encompassing all disciplines of the arts. He enjoys painting, drawing, writing, architecture, sculpture, and interior design. Le Mair was born in Eindhoven, The Netherlands in 1944. He began drawing and painting at the young age of five and while in kindergarten, he was often made to show his paintings in other classes even though he was shy about doing so. “When I could not play outside because of bad weather, I would sit in my bedroom and would draw.” His early art studies were widely influenced by the Rembrandt exhibit in the Rijksmuseum (1956) that he attended with his father. There le Mair was inspired by the Old Masters and “the desire to unravel all the mysteries hidden under the cracked varnish” began. Already having painted a lifesize copy of “The Nightwatch” on the wall of his bedroom, le Mair was continually driven by the Rembrandt exhibit. He began to experiment with resins, pigments and oils in order to hone and perfect the technique of the old masters. He studied drawings and paintings and early on developed the feeling of color and composition. After completing high school, he worked for a short period as a designer of woven fabrics. Although his heart desired to paint, he enjoyed having a pencil and brush in hand and a case full of art books and says, “This treasure of inspiring information took me further on track to the traditional trade.” At this same time, le Mair’s artistic endeavors led him to learn the art of music. First learning to play the guitar from friends, he began performing at youth centers. This love of music expanded into him learning to play the mandolin, turning lye, banjo, and bagpipes. Just after his eighteenth birthday, le Mair was accepted into military service where his lack of conforming led him to a maximum solitary confinement sentence. After a month in training, the army physician and le Mair agreed that he was born to be an artist and released le Mair from military services. Once he returned home, with the encouragement from his parents, le Mair began his art schooling at the Art Academy (Kustacademie) in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands. There he found that the school was geared for modernism and after painting a portrait of a fellow classmate, his teachers advised le Mair to look for a school where the traditional ideas were still taught. Longing to study the classical arts, he applied and was accepted to the Academy of Fine Arts (Koninklijke Kunstacademie) in Antwerp, Belgium in 1965. After studying under Professor Victor Dolphijn, le Mair graduated cum laude in portrait and figure paintings in 1968. He was then promoted to study as a student of the Higher Institute, a structure at a higher university level where he studied under Rik Slabbinck...

The Agony in the Garden. (Christ on the Mount of Olives). Technique: Oil on Panel, 4 wooden boards, not parqueted. Dim. with frame: 78cm x 67cm Dim. without frame: 52 x 62 cm Germa...

Original work by J Snyders 1650: A really eye-catching copy on canvas of this hunting scene originally by Snyders. Artist Biography: Jonathan Adams has been producing museum standar...

A stunning copy of the Northern Renaissance masterpiece "Maddalena Dolente" by Quentin Matsys (1466-1530) which is in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin. Beautifully execut...

An early 17th-century oil on copper showing the mythological contest between Apollo and Pan in which the mountain god, Tmolus, gives judgement for Apollo. Displayed in an antique, ...

View in Summer of Napoli, Italy Well executed pleinair painting of a hill over looking the Bay of Napoli, Italy. done at the turn of the century in ...

Two oil on panel Old Master landscape paintings by Johannes Jakob Hartmann (Bohemian, 1680-1730) Bohemia, early 18th Century Panel: Height 73c...

Well-fed, well-dressed, and well satisfied, counting and accounting for the money. The unknown painter has caught in these two the personification of the approbation against a profes...