JEAN PAUL COURCHIA Paintings

"Shore Birds" by Gerald Purdy, oil on panel, 11 1/2 X 14 inches (framed size: 17 X 21 1/2 inches), $2,800. "I chose narrative art from the menu and have ...

'Agay, le château et le Sémaphore'. Oil on canvas. +/- 1922 Signed lower right Measurements : 60 x 73 cm. This painting will be recorded in the second volume of the Catalogue Raisonn...

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...

Woman in a garden. Oil sketch on cardboard. Unsigned. This work will be recorded in the catalogue raisonné of the work of the artist currently in preparation. Jules Van Biesbroeck was the son of Jules Evariste van Biesbroeck, a painter of Ghent, but was born in Italy, in Portici, near Naples, while his parents were staying there. (In the 19th century many artists made educational trips to Italy). It was a long visit: the child was two years old by the time the family returned to Ghent.[1] After a short period of practice with his father, van Biesbroeck was enrolled in the Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent. His first painting, "The Shepherd" (French: Le pâtre), was sold at the Triennale in Ghent. In 1888, when he was only 15 years old, he made his debut at the "Salon des Champs-Elysées" in Paris with his monumental work "The Launch of the Argo" (French: Le lancement...

PRESSEMANE Joseph 'Villiers le Bel'. Oil on board. Signed. 47 x 21 cm. Titled and signed on the back. Biography Born Jozef Presman in 1904 in Berestechko, Ukraine, he studied at th...

Spectacular example of Warren Sheppard's work, from what most consider his best period. Sunset (possibly, sunrise) executed with strong orange/red palette, and rock formations, maki...

Frans Wouters was a Flemish Baroque painter who mainly created smaller cabinet pieces. He was initially apprenticed to Pieter van Avont in Antwerp, but then moved to Rubens‘ worksho...

Marine scene from the deck of a Maine estate (Foxhill). William Beebe considers himself a Creative Realist, using touches of impressionism to go beyond representation. This particula...

Battle Mountain, Nevada (2005), oil on canvas, 30x40 inches (framed size: 39 x 50 inches) Earl Jones (1937- ) is one of Utah’s best known landscape artists. As an undergraduate at the University of Utah, where he earned a BFA in 1959 and an MFA in 1962, Jones was preoccupied with the figure, studying under the tutelage of portrait painter Alvin Gittins. He then ventured from Utah to New York and the Art Students League where he took figure painting classes with Joseph Hirsch. Later Jones became heir to the landscape legacy of LeConte Stewart...

Cloudy landscape. Oil sketch on cardboard. Unsigned. This work will be recorded in the catalogue raisonné of the work of the artist currently in preparation. Jules Van Biesbroeck was the son of Jules Evariste van Biesbroeck, a painter of Ghent, but was born in Italy, in Portici, near Naples, while his parents were staying there. (In the 19th century many artists made educational trips to Italy). It was a long visit: the child was two years old by the time the family returned to Ghent.[1] After a short period of practice with his father, van Biesbroeck was enrolled in the Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent. His first painting, "The Shepherd" (French: Le pâtre), was sold at the Triennale in Ghent. In 1888, when he was only 15 years old, he made his debut at the "Salon des Champs-Elysées" in Paris with his monumental work "The Launch of the Argo" (French: Le lancement...

View of Ostend. Oil sketch on cardboard. Signed and titled on the back. This work will be recorded in the catalogue raisonné of the work of the artist currently in preparation. Jule...

View of Bou°_Sada. Oil sketch on cardboard. Signed and titled on the back. This work will be recorded in the catalogue raisonné of the work of the artist currently in preparation. J...

'Plaines de la Midjeda Blida'. Oil sketch on cardboard. Signed and titled on the back. This work will be recorded in the catalogue raisonné of the work of the artist currently in pre...

25th Street, by Elise Zoller, 24 x 30 in. oil on panel. Elise Zoller has recently embarked on a series of plein air paintings of sites around Salt Lake City and in the smaller towns of Utah from Hurricane to Huntsville. She has enjoyed meeting people along the road and learning about the history of the state. “Plein air work can be physically demanding, but there is no substitute for working from life. Light and shadow dance in subtle ways a photograph cannot capture. Even the wind and the fragrances it carries inform the work. Scenes come alive when you stand in one place for a few hours. You’ve got to get to know a spot,” Elise says. “While I work, all manner of people come up and talk to me about their towns and their lives. I’ve met a downwinder from Enterprise, pie bakers in Veyo, pony cart...

Isaac and Rebecca had two sons: the twins Esau and Jacob. Esau was the first-born, giving him the birthright. Among Jews the birthright gave the eldest son authority over the family,...