Giacomo Nani Paintings

17th Century Old Master, Figurative and Landscape Painting by Jan Van der Bent So far, little is known about the life and work of Jan van der Bent. He was...

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...

Jean-Charles Cazin Ploughing on the Hillside Signed lower left Oil on board 6 1/2 x 6 inches The son of a well-known doctor, FJ Cazin, he was born at Samer, Pas-de-Calais. After st...

Wilds Birds Dutch School, 17th century Circle of Melchior d'Hondecoeter (Dutch, 1636-1695) framed: 52.5 x 46 inches canvas: 50 x 44 inches provenance: private collection, UK conditio...

Leo Mechelaere Bruges, Belgium 1880 – 1964 Erlangen, Germany Belgian Painter 'Swans of Bruges – Beguinage Bridge' Signature: Signed lower left Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: Image size 65 x 75 cm Provenance: Painting "Swans of Bruges" was exhibited at Salon des Artistes Indépendants Normands in Rouen, France on June 7th, 1956. Biography: Leo Mechelaere, or Leon Mechelaere as he was sometimes known, emerged from the cobblestone streets of Bruges, Belgium, in 1880, destined to leave an indelible mark on the canvas of art history. Born into a world of rich cultural heritage and artistic inspiration, Mechelaere’s passion for painting ignited early, fueling a lifelong journey of creative exploration. His formative years were steeped in the traditions of the Academy of Fine Arts in Bruges, where he honed his craft under the tutelage of esteemed masters. Among them, Edouard Van Hove (1851 – 1913) and Franz Courtens (1850 – 1943) imparted their wisdom, guiding Mechelaere’s hand as he navigated the intricacies of form, light, and color. Under the mentorship of Juliaan De Vriendt...

Roaring Deer Stag Deiker Carl Friedrich Wetzlar, Germany 1836 – 1892 Dusseldorf, Germany German Painter Signature: Signed bottom right Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: Image size 58 x 81 cm, frame size 73 x 96 cm Biography: Deiker Carl Friedrich was born on April 3, 1836 in Wetzlar. He was a Prussian animal painter. Deiker was specialised in animal genres related to hunting and wildlife. He also illustrated magazines and books on hunting. Carl Friedrich Deiker was the son of Friedrich Deiker, a painter and drawing teacher at the high school. His older brother, Johannes Deiker, with whom he learned to draw after their father’s death in 1843, was a painter specialising in hunting scenes. Deiker attended the Hanau drawing Academy, where he was a pupil of the director Theodor Pélissier (1794-1863), and then studied at Johann Wilhelm Schirmer’s studio in Carlsruhe. In 1859, in the Reinhardswald forest, he collected studies for his large hunting paintings...

Pastoral Scene with Figures Dutch Old Master, 17th century oil on canvas, framed Framed: 16.5 x 24 inches Canvas : 13 x 21 inches Provenance: private collection, UK Condition: very g...

Romanticism movement is well maintained here by Benedikt Franz Hess (1817-1870), Swiss / American, a painter of panoramic landscapes in a detailed transcriptive yet broadly painted s...

Claude Cardon British, (1864-1937) Farm Friends Oil on canvas, signed Image size: 13.5 inches x 20.5 inches Size including frame: 19.25 inches x 26.25 inches A tranquil scene of ca...

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...

Charles Jones British, (1836-1892) Highland Cattle & Sheep in Winter Oil on canvas, signed with monogram & dated (18)65, further inscribed verso Image size: 23.5 inches x 35.5 inches...

Adolph Schreyer (1828 - 1899) Arab Scouts, n.d. Oil on canvas 33 3/4 x 56 inches Signed lower right Housed in an exceptional period American handcarved frame Provenance: Sheridan Art Gallery, Chicago Private Collection, Chicago Traffic Club of Chicago Schreyer expert Dr. Christoph Andreas has kindly confirmed the authenticity of this work. With the increase in travel by steamship and the political involvement of European powers in North Africa and the Middle East in the nineteenth century, paintings depicting the scenery, daily life, and customs of North African and Middle Eastern people became an object of fascination among European and American audiences. The German artist Christian Adolf Schreyer...