Want more images or videos?

Request additional images or videos from the seller

1 of 9

Louis XV Rococo Circular Oil on Canvas Cherub Hovering in Clouds, Boucher School

$225,000List Price

About the Item

A very fine and large French 18th century Louis XV Rococo whimsical circular oil on canvas of cherubs hovering in the clouds, school of François Boucher (French, 1703–1770), former Property from the Private Collection of Jayne Wrightsman. The ornately painted open sky scene depicting nine cheerful winged Putti disporting themselves playfully within white and grey clouds. The Putti are nude and hold garlands of flowers forming the letters 'A', 'R', 'P', 'M', and an interlocking 'C & M'. The significance of the letters has not been conclusively deciphered, but they likely refer to the names of the original owners of the Hôtel de Cabris, Jean Paul de Clapiers (1750 - 1813) and Marquis de Cabris and his wife Louise de Mirabeau (d. 1807). (Unframed). Paris, circa 1775. The most prominent initials, the interlocking ‘C’ and ‘M’ in the center of the composition, could allude to the Marquis de Cabris himself, or to the union of the Cabris and Mirabeau families.; indeed, ‘M’ is executed in pink, a color consistently associated by family tradition with Louise de Mirabeau’s name. The painting probably decorated the central salon on the ground floor of the Hôtel de Cabris (now the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire, Grasse), in rue Mirabeau. It was replaced by a chandelier and plaster decorations in a renovation of the building around 1900. The painting was sold with the boiseries (subsequently gifted to the Metropolitan Museum of Art by Charles and Jayne Wrightsman; see F. J. B. Watson, The Wrightsman Collection, New York, 1970, III, pp. 32-39) in the E. M. Hodgkin sale, Paris on 29 May 1937. The identity of the author of this ceiling painting has never been convincingly determined, but its style certainly suggests a dating of circa 1775. The names of Hughes Taraval (1729-1785) and Antoine-François Callet (1741-1823) have been suggested, and both artists trained with Jean Baptiste Marie Pierre (whose style is reflected in the Wrightsman painting) and are known to have painted ceiling decorations early in their careers. Perhaps the most intriguing name posited is that of Nicolas-Guy Brenet (1728 - 1792), the French history painter who trained with François Boucher (French, 1703 - 1770) , and whose brother, André Brenet, was the Parisian sculptor who was engaged by the Marquise de Cabris to obtain in Paris the boiseries, decorations and furnishings for the hôtel. Might it be that he engaged his brother to execute the ceiling painting, as Georges Vindry, curator of the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire proposed in the mid-1970s. Provenance • Jean Paul de Clapiers, Marquis de Cabris (1750-1813), with E.M. Hodgkins by 1910. • His sale; Hôtel Drouot, Paris, 29 May 1937 with Wildenstein, New York, by 1955. • Charles and Jayne Wrightsman, New York, acquired from the above. • Purchased from Wildenstein & Co. in 1957, this anonymous painting decorated the ceiling of a vestibule in the Wrightsman’s apartment at 820 Fifth Avenue. It was acquired along with boiserie paneling that had been carved around 1775 for the Hôtel de Cabris at Grasse, now installed in the Wrightsman Galleries at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, NY - The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 527 "Boiserie from the Hôtel de Cabris, Grasse" • Christie's New York, The Private Collection of Jayne Wrightsman. The team of the Museum of Art and History of Provence in Grasse, France, "Musée de France”, lead by Mr. Grégory COUDERC, the attaché de conservation du patrimoine responsable, scientifique des musées de Grasse (Heritage conservation officer, scientific manager of the Grasse museums) has confirmed the provenance of this magnificent painting or tondo, as they refer to it, came from the private mansion of Clapiers-Cabris (Hôtel de Cabris) which was dismantled from the mansion in 1910. About Jayne Kirkman Wrightsman Jayne Kirkman Wrightsman (née Larkin; October 21, 1919 – April 20, 2019) was an American philanthropist, fine and decorative arts collector and widow of philanthropist and art collector Charles B. Wrightsman (1895–1986). She was named to the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1965. She was a resident and president of the co-op board at 820 Fifth Avenue. She was born in Michigan, and grew up in Los Angeles. Beginning in 1952, she and her husband amassed the finest private collection in the US of the decorative arts of the ancien régime, ultimately donating many objects (comprising the Wrightsman Galleries) to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Jayne Wrightsman also served as a member of the Museum's 100th Anniversary Committeeand was elected to the board of trustees in 1975. Wrightsman died on April 20, 2019, aged 99. Sources: Wikipedia, The Met and Christie's New York Measures: Diameter 63 1/2 inches (161.3 cm) Width 1 1/2 inches (3.8 cm) Condition Report: This work has been recently professionally relined, see images of the back before and after relining. The stretcher is original, and cannot be expanded. On the reverse of the canvas (prior to relining) there are four small reinforcements addressing some small repairs in one of the Putti—two in his wings and one in his leg—and another repair near the clouds. The original canvas join is visible. There is raised cracking to the paint layer, but this is not unstable. A truly beautiful and well executed period artwork. François Boucher (French 1703-1770) was a French painter in the Rococo style. Boucher is known for his idyllic and voluptuous paintings on classical themes, decorative allegories, and pastoral scenes. He was perhaps the most celebrated painter and decorative artist of the 18th century. He also painted several portraits of his patroness, Madame de Pompadour. A native of Paris, Boucher was the son of a minor painter Nicolas Boucher, who gave him his first artistic training. At the age of seventeen, a painting by Boucher was admired by the painter François Lemoyne. Lemoyne later appointed Boucher as his apprentice, but after only three months, he went to work for the engraver Jean-François Cars. In 1720, he won the elite Grand Prix de Rome for painting, but did not take up the consequential opportunity to study in Italy until five years later, due to financial problems at the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture. On his return from studying in Italy he was admitted to the refounded Académie de peinture et de sculpture on 24 November 1731. His morceau du reception (reception piece) was his Rinaldo and Armida of 1734. Boucher became a faculty member in 1734 and his career accelerated from this point as he was promoted Professor then Rector of the Academy, becoming head of the Royal Gobelins Manufactory in 1755 and finally Premier Peintre du Roi (First Painter of the King) in 1765. Boucher died on 30 May 1770 in his native Paris. His name, along with that of his patron Madame de Pompadour, had become synonymous with the French Rococo style, leading the Goncourt brothers to write: "Boucher is one of those men who represent the taste of a century, who express, personify and embody it." Boucher is famous for saying that nature is "trop verte et mal éclairée" (too green and badly lit). Boucher was associated with the gemstone engraver Jacques Guay, whom he taught to draw. Later Boucher made a series of drawings of works by Guay which Madame de Pompadour then engraved and distributed as a handsomely bound volume to favored courtiers. The neoclassical painter Jacques-Louis David began his painting instruction under Boucher. Reflecting inspiration gained from such artists as Peter Paul Rubens and Antoine Watteau, Boucher's early works celebrate the idyllic and tranquil portrayal of nature and landscape with great elan. However, his art typically forgoes traditional rural innocence to portray scenes with a definitive style of eroticism as his mythological scenes are passionate and intimately amorous rather than traditionally epic. Marquise de Pompadour (mistress of King Louis XV), whose name became synonymous with Rococo art, was a great admirer of his work. Boucher's paintings such as The Breakfast (1739), a familial scene, show how he was as a master of the genre scene, where he regularly used his own wife and children as models. These intimate family scenes are contrasting to the licentious style seen in his Odalisque portraits. The dark-haired version of the Odalisque portraits prompted claims by the art critic Denis Diderot that Boucher was "prostituting his own wife", and the Blonde Odalisque was a portrait that illustrated the extramarital relationships of the King. Boucher gained lasting notoriety through such private commissions for wealthy collectors and, after Diderot expressed his disapproval, his reputation came under increasing critical attack during the last years of his career. Museums: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, California The British Museum, London UK Musée du Louvre, Paris France.

Similar to:
François Boucher (Artist)
Dimensions:
Height: 1.5 in (3.81 cm)Diameter: 63.5 in (161.29 cm)
Style:
Rococo (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Canvas,Hand-Painted
Place of Origin:
France
Period:
18th Century
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1775
Condition:
Additions or alterations made to the original: Canvas professionally relined. Repaired: Canvas has been recently relined. Old restorations, please read condition report on description. Minor fading. Recently professionally relined, see images of the back before and after relining. 4 small reinforcements addressing some small repairs in one of the Putti, 2 in his wings and one in his leg—and another repair near the clouds. Some stable craquelure.
Seller Location:
Los Angeles, CA
Reference Number:
Seller: Ref.: A24831stDibs: LU1796222851422

Antique 18th Century French Rococo Paintings

Materials

Canvas

18th Century French Rococo Painting Circle of François Boucher

$12,500

H 33.75 in W 49.25 in D 3.5 in

"The Gallant Pastor" after François Boucher, 19th century

By François Boucher

Located in Paris, FR

This painting is a copy of the "Gallant Shepherd" painted by François Boucher for the audience room of Prince Hercule-Mériadec, Duke of Rohan, on the first floor of the Hôtel de Soub...

Category

Antique Mid-19th Century French Rococo Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Giltwood

"The Gallant Pastor" after François Boucher, 19th century

$3,311

H 40.56 in W 38.59 in D 1.58 in

American Painting, Hudson River School, Oil on Canvas

Located in Huntington, NY

American painting, Hudson river school, Oil on canvas.

Category

Antique Late 19th Century Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Wood

American Painting, Hudson River School, Oil on Canvas

$6,800 Sale Price

20% Off

H 31.5 in W 31.5 in D 2 in

Oil on Canvas English School Marine Scene Eighteenth Century

Located in Madrid, ES

Oil on canvas English school marine scene eighteenth century On the back part it has a label with a note in ink: coast of Scarborough-England E...

Category

Antique 1750s Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Oil on Canvas English School Marine Scene Eighteenth Century

$4,154

H 71 in W 10 in D 94 in

Giltwood Framed Limoges Enamel after François Boucher 'The Bird Catchers'

By François Boucher, Limoges

Located in West Palm Beach, FL

Giltwood Framed Limoges Enamel after François Boucher 'The Bird Catchers' France, Circa 1880s Framed in an elaborate hand carved pierced and giltwood t...

Category

Antique Late 19th Century French Baroque Decorative Art

Materials

Copper

Giltwood Framed Limoges Enamel after François Boucher 'The Bird Catchers'

$1,196 Sale Price

20% Off

H 11.5 in W 7.5 in D 3 in

Oil on Canvas Paint Flemish School, 17th Century Belgium

Located in Beuzevillette, FR

Oil on canvas depicting a country scene: a man watering his horse near a river where two cows and a sheep wade accompanied by a farmer. Work of northern France or Belgium of the 17t...

Category

Antique 17th Century Belgian Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Oil on Canvas Paint Flemish School, 17th Century Belgium

$2,528

H 13.78 in W 17.52 in D 1.97 in

Barbizon School, 19th Century Forest Landscapes Oil on Canvas

Located in Buchanan, MI

Barbizon School (19th century) Forest Landscapes oil on canvas; oil on board 13 3/8 x 21 3/8 inches.

Category

Antique 19th Century Barbizon School Paintings

Barbizon School, 19th Century Forest Landscapes Oil on Canvas

$4,500

H 13.25 in W 21.25 in D 3 in

Oil On Canvas Circular Art Deco Paintings Of The Smoky Mountains

Located in Vancouver, British Columbia

Rare circular Art Deco scenes of the Smoky Mountains with date and details rendered behind the paintings. Beautifully hand painted in vivid hues and original circular gilt frames. Em...

Category

Vintage 1940s American Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Oil On Canvas Circular Art Deco Paintings Of The Smoky Mountains

$640 Sale Price / set

20% Off

H 1 in Dm 11 in

Mid-20th Century Indian School Painting "Musicians" Oil on Canvas

Located in Marbella, ES

Indian school of the mid-20th century. "Musicians". Oil on canvas. With perforation. Size: 174 x 110 cm; 150 x 112.5 cm (frame). Formally, the piece follows the language of Indi...

Category

Mid-20th Century Indian Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Mid-20th Century Indian School Painting "Musicians" Oil on Canvas

$4,816

H 68.51 in W 39.38 in D 1.97 in

Oil on Canvas, Orientalist Scene, Signed Louis Saphier

Located in Houston, TX

Oil on canvas, orientalist scene, signed Louis Saphier. This lovely painting was executed around 1920. Louis Saphier was active and lived in both New Yor...

Category

Vintage 1920s Grand Tour Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Wood

Oil on Canvas, Orientalist Scene, Signed Louis Saphier

$2,450

H 34.75 in W 27 in D 1.5 in

More From This Seller

View All

French 19th Century Oil on Canvas "Venus Disarming Cupid" after François Boucher

By François Boucher

Located in Los Angeles, CA

A large French 19th century oil on canvas laid on board painting in the manner of François Boucher (French, 1703-1770). The oval framed canvas depicting a version of Boucher's "Venus...

Category

Antique Late 19th Century French Romantic Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Plywood

French 19th Century Oil on Canvas "Venus Disarming Cupid" after François Boucher

$8,450 Sale Price

32% Off

Hans Zatzka, Austrian Oil on Canvas Titled "Spring Love" Maiden with Cherubs"

By Hans Zatzka

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Hans Zatzka (Austrian, 1859-1945) a superb quality oil on canvas titled "Spring Love" depicting a standing young maiden holding a wicker basket filled with fresh flower as she is bei...

Category

Antique 1880s Austrian Belle Époque Paintings

Materials

Wood, Giltwood

Hans Zatzka, Austrian Oil on Canvas Titled "Spring Love" Maiden with Cherubs"

$99,600 Sale Price

26% Off

German 19th Century Oil on Canvas Triptych of Cherubs by Ferdinand Wagner II

By Ferdinand Wagner II 1

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Ferdinand Wagner II (German, 1847-1927) A very fine and charming triptych group of three oil on canvas laid on board titled "An Allegory to Spring" each panel depicting different playful and joyous scenes of putti and a cherubs reminiscent of spring, love and peace. The center panel depicting a seated putto, crowned with flowers, a standing putto behind him holding a sack of arrows and a seated cherub facing him next to a watchful peace dove on top resting of a flower bouquet. The left panel depicting a seated putto next to a standing putto with a freshly harvested apple. The right side panel depicting a standing cherub holding a fig branches with leaves. All three-in-one panels within individually carved giltwood frames. All panels signed at the lower left: Ferd. Wagner, circa 1890. Ferdinand Wagner II (German, 1847-1927) was the son of Passau Ferdinand Wagner Senior, a teacher at a vocational art school who began training him professionally at a young age. After traveling to Italy in 1867-1868, he continued with his art studies at The Munich Academy of Arts led by Peter Von Cornelius and Julius Schnorr...

Category

Antique Late 19th Century German Rococo Revival Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Wood

German 19th Century Oil on Canvas Triptych of Cherubs by Ferdinand Wagner II

$64,500

George Adolphus Storey Oil on Canvas "Love in a Maze"

By George Adolphus Storey

Located in Los Angeles, CA

George Adolphus Storey (British, 1834-1919) a very fine and large oil on canvas titled "Love in a Maze". Signed and dated lower right "G. A. Storey 1873". The ...

Category

Antique 19th Century English Romantic Paintings

Materials

Gesso, Canvas, Giltwood

George Adolphus Storey Oil on Canvas "Love in a Maze"

$28,950 Sale Price

34% Off

Heinz Pinggera, "Music Recital for the Cardinal" Oil on Canvas

By Heinz Pinggera

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Heinz Pinggera (Italian, b 1900) "A Recital for the Cardinal" oil on canvas within a gilt-wood and gesso frame. The interior 18th century rococo scene depicting a seated Cardinal or ...

Category

Early 20th Century Italian Rococo Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Giltwood

Heinz Pinggera, "Music Recital for the Cardinal" Oil on Canvas

$9,850 Sale Price

23% Off

French 19th Century Old Master School Oil on Canvas Titled "Leda and The Swan"

Located in Los Angeles, CA

A fine and large French 19th century old master school oil on canvas titled "Leda and The Swan" within a giltwood frame. Leda and the swan is a motif from Greek mythology, in which Z...

Category