Pair of Tall Antique French Paintings, The Allegories of Autumn and Winter, 1879

This beautiful boiserie panel depicting an allegory of Spring and the Arms of France was hand-painted in France, circa 1840. Boiserie is ornate wooden paneling that covered walls and ceilings of luxurious chateaus in France. The use of these panels became more prevalent at the end of the 17th century, before exploding in popularity during the 1700’s, thanks to multiple installations at the Palace of Versailles. Lengthy paintings such as this (ours is over 112 inches long) would often be placed above a doorway, forming a continuous theme with the rest of the room. The arrival of Spring is depicted by four winged cherubs frolicking among pink, white, and yellow flowers. None of the cherubs are clothed, although two of them are draped in colored textiles. The putto on the far left has a billowing peach colored material hanging from the left shoulder as he holds a sheer piece of fabric. The transparent veil stretches across most of the canvas, extending to the right hand of a female cherub wearing a jeweled tiara on the far right. On the same side of the canvas, but more medial, is another putto loosely draped in green fabric. To the left is the fourth cherub, a female with a laurel leaf tiara that is holding onto the edge of the Arms of France. A gold oval medallion, adorned with volute scrolls at the top and bottom, encircles a representation of the coat of arms of France from the Bourbon Restoration (1814/1815-1830). There is a large, curled leaf rising from the top volute with a husked border surrounding the light blue background with three gold fleur de lys. Our magnificent French painting gives off a warm and lively feel. Although it could still be used as part of a boiserie room...

Once installed architecturally in a chateau in Normandy, France, this large pair of overdoors was painted in the 1700s and executed in a technique known as verdaille. Verdaille utilizes various shades of green to achieve a mesmerizing monochromatic effect. This technique’s rich history traces back to the 12th century when it was initially employed to create stained glass for Cistercian monasteries, where colorful art was prohibited, making these overdoors not only aesthetically captivating but also a piece of living art history. Interestingly, there is a hand-written transport note on the back of one of the overdoors (see detail photo) that mentions the paintings were to be shipped to a Madame DeFrance in Paris, at the rue St. Honore corner of la rue Dufour (freight pre-paid). These exquisite pieces are encompassed by wood frames adorned with lavish foliate carvings, beautifully painted in a soothing French gray hue. Each overdoor encapsulates a unique musical scene that transports you to the heart of 18th-century Europe. In the first painting, a man plays the uilleann pipe, a unique instrument with a bellow-driven mechanism that distinguishes it from a bagpipe. The musician has quite an audience, as two women, one cradling a sheep, and four more sheep next to a dog have gathered nearby. In the second painting, witness a captivating moment of courtship as a gentleman kneels before a woman with a tambourine in her hands. He presents a long woodwind instrument, possibly a carnyx, while a faithful dog rests nearby amidst a backdrop of gardening tools. These stunning French verdaille overdoors were once part of a themed boiserie room (most likely green in color and centered around music). They can once again be used to create a theme above a pair of interior doors or they can be hung as a unique set of artwork.

ITALIAN SCHOOL of the 17th century "Allegory of Winter". Oil on canvas. 70.5 x 96 cm good condition

3288 Winter horse drawn carriage Oil on board Image size 19.5x 15.5"