Walter J. Watson Landscape Paintings

Fine landscape painting, this oil on canvas of Snowdonia, Wales is by 19th century British artist Thomas Huson, RI, (1844-1920). Signed by artist in lower left, Thomas Huson was a ...

Traditional English hunt scene, this painting is in a beautifully grained wooden frame. Black and white horses are running with the hounds in a green landscape with blue sky. Sign...

Late 19th/early 20th century oil on canvas painting in the manner of Abraham Hulk the Younger (1851-1922), and George Vincent (1796-1832). These artists painted in the Dutch style, though both are British. Each has had experience with Dutch masters that influence their work. George Vincent’s work is perhaps even closer to this than Hulk’s. Vincent paints the trees and skies with the warm hues of light infused on the work. Here, the sky has blue but also a khaki or tan shade, roughed into the blue and white. It is an unusual color in skies, yet Vincent shows us the light through clouds castingva darker shade. The trees are varied greens but also yellowed leaves, as in autumn. Presented in a period decorative gilt frame, the painting is of a cottage in a woodland with cattle by a pond, a little black dog and man and a woman standing by. In the distance is a glimpse of a river and grasses, framed by trees and an overcast sky. Hulk is renowned for his treatment of the changing season from summer to autumn, and the golden leaves and fading greens in this painting suggest this changing time of year. Hulk is the son of a well known Dutch maritime...

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...

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...

Beautiful and impressive large original vintage oil painting, 38" by 50" in a beautifully presented frame, after one of the most renowned animal painters of the late 18th century/ear...

Emanuel Aage PETERSEN (1894 - 1948) Polar bear in a snowstorm Oil on canvas H. 70 cm; L. 100 cm Signed lower left Emanuel A. Petersen studied to...

A nordic light nocturnal scene by Rolf Mellström (1896–1953) Two Eurasian woodcocks cross above the dark forest, their compact bodies reading as quick silhouettes against a late blue...

Fine work by celebrated 19th century artist, Colin Hunter (1841-1904) ARA, RI, RSW, RE. 'Highland Bridge' shows one of the old stone bridges in the Scottish countryside with horse an...

Fine 19th century landscape oil on canvas by Alfred de Breanski Sr., this sunset, color and light, are exceptional in this work. Alfred De Brea...

Aris Knikker (1887 - 19662) Dutch landscape with cows resting underneath a tree and windmill on the horizon Signed lower right A. Knikker Oil on canvas Di...

Provenance: The Artist. Menikoff collection (friends of the artist) About this artist: Born in Little Italy in 1907, Gregorio Prestopino first set out to become a sign painter as the son of New York City immigrants. Instead, his talent provided a life-changing scholarship to the National Academy of Design, and for five years he studied drawing under C. W. Hawthorne. He spent the summer of 1934 at the MacDowell Colony in Peterborough, New Hampshire. His deep involvement with the colony led him to later serve as its director in 1954. Much of Prestopino’s work was in the vein of social realism. During the 1940s and 1950s he became deeply invested in portraying everyday Manhattan and Harlem scenes. He first became interested in the Ashcan school at the National Academy of Design, and remained committed to an interest in working with urban scenes. His lively treatment of people and events revealed his affinity for sixteenth-century artist Pieter Breughel. Later in his career, he focused on producing images of nudes and picturesque New Hampshire landscapes, and investigated the relationship between color and form. Prestopino exhibited at several biennials at the Corcoran Gallery, at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Modern Art. His work was frequently shown at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, where he was awarded the Temple Gold Medal in 1946 and an additional prize in 1952. He was awarded a National Institute of Arts and Letter Grant in 1961, and in 1972 the National Academy of Design awarded him the Altman Figure Painting Award. Prestopino’s artistic cache skyrocketed when Life magazine published his images from New York’s maximum security institution Green Haven as part of its “Prison Series” in 1957. That same year his paintings and sketches of urban life were featured in the short film Harlem Wednesday. Directed by John and Faith Hubley...