Francesca Strino Still-life Paintings

Jean Grimal is a true 20th century discovery. This breathtaking piece is a gorgeous example of his mastery as an artist. He beautifully creates chiaroscuro in this painting. The way the light touches the edges of the Chinese bowl and the grapes is an example of his skill in representing light. Jean Grimal (1942-1998) was born in the town of Tulle, France in 1942. Jean’s family moved to Paris when he was 8 years of age. After receiving a classical French education with studies in Latin and Greek, Jean Grimal entered the University to receive his Baccalaureate. He then attended Claude Barnard School for three years, when he received his Art Degree.  Upon completion Grimal taught art for seven years.  As Grimal’s own interest in formal painting and art began to possess him, the artist’s destiny changed.  In 1967 Jean Grimal stepped aside from teaching and pursued a career in professional painting and working as an illustrator in advertising.  As an advertising illustrator, Grimal worked with Lise Goldfard for more than 25 years at Studio 44 where they collaborated with major and important accounts, such as: Air France, Christofle, Peugeot, Lacoste, to name a few. At the same time he began presenting his formal paintings to galleries in Paris and Cannes, France and in London and Windsor, England.  Much to his surprise, Grimal found that his paintings were sought after by major art galleries and collectors throughout Europe.  After a number of years of being an important and successful art illustrator for these major accounts, he found himself having to choose between the two.  Fortunately for collectors, he chose to dedicate his life to the classical style of painting.  Jean looked at the simplest things in life through a microscope, where he could take the simplest object and depict the age of the fruit or the leaf. Jean Grimal received great pleasure from his work and painted for over thirty years.  As his style matured and became ever more perfect Jean Grimal truly reached the pinnacle of his career.  The artist’s methods were particularly distinguished when measured against his peers.  Grimal’s painting skill was distinctive and exceptional. Jean Grimal was known for his realistic trompe l’oeil and still life paintings.  The artist would carefully arrange the objects to form a satisfying composition.  By painting every shadow, highlight, and reflection within each composition Grimal brought mundane subjects to life.  His tight rendering combined with his attention to light and detail allowed him to blur the lines between illusion and reality, truly making his works one of a kind.  Grimal’s trompe l’oeil paintings consist of intricate compositions of cards, envelopes, photographs, paper of different materials and weights, backs of canvases, images of other artists’ works, kitchen utensils, pistols, and more.  Grimal had a talent for mastering these illusions that deceive the eye in his trompe l’oeil paintings.    No matter what genre Grimal was painting, tight, unperceivable brushwork characterizes his work.  The artist painted every crease and crinkle, every shadow and highlight, every detail.  By doing so, he was able to capture each individual surface texture of the objects in his paintings.  Grimal was also fabulous at depicting light in his paintings- often contrasting strong lights with strong darks, creating chiaroscuro modeling.  His still life paintings are reminiscent of Dutch seventeenth century...

Floral with Urn is in a classical Dutch style that dates to the 17th century. The bright flowers drape the urn in whites, crimsons and pinks, standing out against the darker foliage...

Studio of Miguel Canals, Spanish 1925-1995 Still life painting with flowers in a vase oil painting on canvas, framed oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 23 x...

Profusion of Flowers Classical Still Life Dutch School, 19th century oil on canvas, unframed canvas : 32 x 21 inches provenance: private collection condition: very good and sound con...

Ornamental Still Life with fruit, flowers and birds Italian School, 19th century oil painting on canvas, unframed size: 31.5 x 47 inches condition: relined canvas and in very good and presentable condition provenance: from a collection here in England. A very beautiful and decorative oil painting on a huge scale, depicting this classical landscape scene, with ornamental birds...

Studio of Miguel Canals, Spanish 1925-1995 Still life painting with flowers in a vase oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 23 x 18 inches provenance: private ...

Ornate Classical Fruit Still Life Italian School, 17th century oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 22 x 27 inches provenance: private collection, UK condition: very good and sound condi...

Provenance: Selma Herringman, New York, ca. 1955-2013; thence by descent to: Private Collection, New York, 2013-2020 This seventeenth century Spanish still-life of a laden table, known as a bodegón, stands out for its dramatic lighting and for the detailed description of each object. The artist’s confident use of chiaroscuro enables the sliced-open squash in the left foreground to appear as if emerging out of the darkness and projecting towards the viewer. The light source emanates from the upper left, illuminating the array, and its strength is made apparent by the reflections on the pitcher, pot, and the fruit in the basket. Visible brush strokes accentuate the vegetables’ rough surfaces and delicate interiors. Although the painter of this striking work remains unknown, it is a characteristic example of the pioneering Spanish still-lifes of the baroque period, which brought inanimate objects alive on canvas. In our painting, the knife and the large yellow squash boldly protrude off the table. Balancing objects on the edge of a table was a clever way for still-life painters to emphasize the three-dimensionality of the objects depicted, as well a way to lend a sense of drama to an otherwise static image. The knife here teeters on the edge, appearing as if it might fall off the table and out of the painting at any moment. The shape and consistency of the squash at left is brilliantly conveyed through the light brush strokes that define the vegetable’s fleshy and feathery interior. The smaller gourds—gathered together in a pile—are shrouded partly in darkness and stand out for their rugged, bumpy exterior. The stoneware has a brassy glaze, and the earthy tones of the vessels are carefully modulated by their interaction with the light and shadow that falls across them. The artist has cleverly arranged the still-life in a V-shaped composition, with a triangular slice of cheese standing upright, serving as its pinnacle. Independent still-lifes only became an important pictorial genre in the first years of the seventeenth century. In Italy, and particularly through the revolutionary works of Caravaggio, painted objects became carriers of meaning, and their depiction and arrangement the province of serious artistic scrutiny. Caravaggio famously asserted that it was equally difficult to paint a still-life as it was to paint figures, and the elevation of this new art form would have profound consequences to the present day. In Spain Juan Sanchez Cotan...

Artist/School: G. Wabarwick (20th Century), signed Title: Mixed Flowers Classical Still Life Medium: oil on canvas, framed Size: the canvas is 40 x 30 inches; the frame adds anoth...

Nicolas Van Houbraken (Messina, 1668 - Pisa, 1733) Still life with mushrooms Oil on canvas, cm. 26 x 32 - with frame cm. 38,5 x 33,5 Antique cassetta frame made of carved wood and ...

Claudine Picard is a French artist born in 1949 who lives & works in Sainte Marie, France. She is graduated from the Ecole Nationale des Arts Décoratifs in 1973 (ENSAD).

German School, early 20th century oil on canvas, framed framed: 33 x 27.5 inches canvas: 30 x 25 inches private collection, UK the painting is in overall very ...