Giacomo Nani Paintings

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...

The Mill Wheel by Thomas Henry Thomas (Welsh 1834-1915) signed lower right corner oil painting on canvas, framed framed size: 12 x 16 inches condit...

Bringing in the Harvest British School, late 19th century signed lower corner oil painting on canvas, framed framed: 29.5 x 55.5 inches canvas: 24 x 50.5 inches provenance: private c...

The Chateau Lake by Josine Vignon (French 1922-2022) signed front and back oil painting on canvas, unframed canvas: 29 x 24 inches Colors: Green colors, blue, yellow and white Ver...

In this piece, I sought to capture the vibrancy and tranquility of nature, merging the wild with the serene. The crimson poppies dance in the breeze, a sea of passion and life, while...

European artist, second half 20th century signed lower corner oil on canvas, framed framed: 25 x 35 inches canvas: 20 x 30 inches provenance: private ...

Pausing for a Rest English School, circa 1800 the painting is very close to the works of Thomas Barker of Bath (English 1769-1847) oil on canvas, framed framed: 29 x 39 inches canvas...

Artist/ School: Italian School, early 18th century The painting is almost certainly from the circle of the Italian Baroque painter known as 'Rosa da Napoli', Jacob Roos (Rome 1682-Na...

Cows & Bull In Landscape Dutch School, 19th century oil on canvas, framed framed: 13 x 11 inches painting: 10 x 8 inches provenance: private UK collection. The painting is in good a...

The Earthly Paradise Frédérick Bouttats (Antwerp, 1590-1661) Painting is Circa 1610-1612 Oil on wood panel, circa 42 7/8 x 29 3/8 (ca. 52 x 39 frame) inches The inner frame is c18th ...

Artist/ School: Mervyn Goode (British, b. 1948), signed lower right Title: Tranquil Pastoral Landscape with Cattle grazing Medium: signed oil painting on canvas, framed. Size: ...

Alan King, British Artist (1946- 2003) signed oil on canvas, framed framed: 27 x 37 inches canvas: 20 x 30 inches provenance: UK collection The painting is ...