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Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

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Period: Mid-19th Century
Pair of Georgian Style Scallop Shell Wall Carvings
Located in Wormelow, Herefordshire
A stunning pair of Georgian style carved limewood scallop shells with foliage scrolls. Dating from circa 1870, these wooden shells each have hooks to the reverse for hanging, making ...
Category

English Georgian Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Wood

Framed Antique Anatolian Rug Fragment, 19th C.
Located in Istanbul, TR
Antique rug fragment has been professionally backed and framed. 19th C. from Central Anatolia.
Category

Turkish Tribal Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Wool

English 19th Century Portrait of a Gentleman
Located in Ottawa, Ontario
An English 19th century portrait of a gentleman, oil on canvas, original frame and stretcher, crackle paint typical of older pain...
Category

English Victorian Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paint

Mid Century Modern Oil Painting Flower Still-Life Signed J.C. Pierre
Located in Casteren, Noord-Brabant
Beautiful and colorful mid century modern painting of a flower still life. The painting dates from circa 1960 and is framed in a simple black wooden frame. The painting is signed low...
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French Mid-Century Modern Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paint

Exquisite Antique Natural History Prints: Insects, Larvae, and Life Cycles, 1832
Located in Langweer, NL
Title: Exquisite Antique Natural History Prints: Insects, Larvae, and Life Cycles Description: This set of four original antique prints from 1832 is a captivating exploration of ...
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Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

1856 Hand-Colored Lithograph of Swallowtail Butterflies and Caterpillars
Located in Langweer, NL
Title: 1856 Hand-Colored Lithograph of Swallowtail Butterflies and Caterpillars – A Masterpiece of Natural History Art Description: This ench...
Category

Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Original Antique Print of New York City. Dated 1837
Located in St Annes, Lancashire
Great print of New York City Steel engraving after W.H Bartlett Published by Virtue 1837 Unframed. The measurement is the paper size. Free shipping  
Category

English Other Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

19th-Century Hand-Coloured Lithograph of Duel with Ornate Shields and Daggers
Located in Langweer, NL
Title: 19th-Century Hand-Coloured Lithograph of Duel with Ornate Shields and Daggers Description: This vivid and dynamic hand-coloured lithograph showcases two knights poised for c...
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Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Inhabitants of the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) by Brodtman, 1835
Located in Langweer, NL
This lithograph by Karl Joseph Brodtmann depicts two individuals from the Sandwich Islands, now known as Hawaii. The artwork reflects Brodtmann’s ethnographic interest in documenting...
Category

Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

19th-Century Hand-Coloured Lithograph of a Medieval Siege Tower in Action
Located in Langweer, NL
Title: 19th-Century Hand-Coloured Lithograph of a Medieval Siege Tower in Action Description: This exceptional hand-coloured lithograph depicts a towering Medieval siege tower, a cr...
Category

Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

19th Century Watercolor Seascape with Shipwreck
Located in Nantucket, MA
Antique seascape with shipwreck on a rocky shore, mid-19th century, a watercolor on paper seascape with a shipwrecked brig on the rocks, with another squall rolling in on horizon, un...
Category

American Folk Art Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

De Indische Archipel by C.W. Mieling, 1865-1876
Located in Langweer, NL
'De Indische Archipel: Tafereelen uit de natuur en het volksleven in Indië' by C.W. Mieling. This is a very rare first edition (only 1 copy in Nederlandse Centrale Catalogus – NCC and only 1 copy in JAP, sold in 1974) of a sumptuous work originally published in 12 instalments (started in 1865 by C.W. Mieling and completed in 1876 by J.M. van ‘t Haaff, both in The Hague). It was in January 1862 that a Prospectus was issued by C. W. Mieling, The Hague, announcing the publication of what is the most spectacular of the plate works of Indonesia, De Indische Archipel, which commenced publication in The Hague in 1865. The work contains 24 large chromolithograph plates which are among the largest published on Indonesia. From both a topographical and artistic point of view the plates are of considerable interest as they present a comprehensive series of views in the archipelago, ranging through Java. Borneo, Sumatra and Minahasa, after drawings by virtually all the prominent mid-19th century artists of Indonesia: Raden Saleh...
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Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Evening Bivouac Amidst Rocky Ruins - A Glimpse Into 19th-Century Exploration
Located in Langweer, NL
Title: Scenic View of Butte de Morale - A Stunning 19th-Century Expedition Print Description: This lithograph captures the enchanting landscape of Butte de Morale, a serene and ve...
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Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Original Antique Print of Dolphins, 1847 'Unframed'
Located in St Annes, Lancashire
Great image of dolphins. Unframed. It gives you the option of perhaps making a set up using your own choice of frames. Lithograph after Cpt. brown with original hand color. ...
Category

English Folk Art Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Large Antique Presentation Tray, Persian, Engraved Copper, Charger, Victorian
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is a remarkable early Victorian period wall charger, showcasing exquisite Persian craftsmanship, circa 1850. This large antique decorative presentation tray boasts intricate eng...
Category

Persian Early Victorian Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Copper

Eternal Devotion in Prayer: Handcolored Religious Adorer Print, Plate 77, 1862
Located in Langweer, NL
Eternal Devotion in Prayer: Handcolored Religious Adorer Print, Plate 77, 1862 This poignant handcolored lithograph, Eternal Devotion in Prayer, is Plate 77 from the 1862 second e...
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Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Ippolito Caffi 19th Century Signed Italian Painting
Located in Roma, IT
Beautiful and important painting attributed to the great 19th-century artist Ippolito Caffi. Tempera on canvas pasted on panel. Depicts the Bay of Naples in all its resplendent beaut...
Category

Italian Grand Tour Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Wood, Paper

Boundary Marker at St. Croix River Source, 1817 – A Historic Diplomatic Monument
Located in Langweer, NL
Title: Boundary Marker at St. Croix River Source, 1817 – A Historic Diplomatic Monument Description: This detailed hand-colored lithograph depicts the new monument erected on July...
Category

Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

19th-Century Racehorse Portraits: Pandora, Canteen, Mulatto, and Chateau Margaux
Located in Langweer, NL
These are 19th-century equine prints depicting notable racehorses titled "Pandora," "Canteen," "Mulatto," and "Chateau Margaux." They are in the style of British equine portraiture, ...
Category

Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Moine de Cîteaux - 1862 Hand-Colored Lithograph of a Cistercian Monk
Located in Langweer, NL
Moine de Cîteaux - 1862 Hand-Colored Lithograph of a Cistercian Monk This 1862 hand-colored lithograph depicts a Moine de Cîteaux, or Cistercian monk, dressed in the traditional...
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Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Wings of Elegance: Hand-Colored 1849 Lithograph of Exotic Butterflies
Located in Langweer, NL
Wings of Elegance: Hand-Colored 1849 Lithograph of Exotic Butterflies from Carl Hoffmann’s 'Book of the World' This captivating hand-colored lithograph from Carl Hoffmann’s 'Book of...
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Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Union Bridge: By-Town, Ottawa River" – 19th-Century Hand-Colored Lithograph
Located in Langweer, NL
Title: "Union Bridge: By-Town, Ottawa River" – 19th-Century Hand-Colored Lithograph Description: This charming hand-colored lithograph, titled "Union Bridge: By-Town, Ottawa River,"...
Category

Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Original Antique Hand-coloured Fish Print of the Whiting, Merling & Saithe, 1842
Located in Langweer, NL
Antique print, titled: 'Poissons Plate 6 - Le Merlan Commun (Gadus merlangus) - Le Gade Verdatre (Gadus virens).' This rare plate shows the Merlangius merlangus, commonly known a...
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Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Original Antique Print of a Chinese and Japanese Plate, France, circa 1860
Located in St Annes, Lancashire
Wonderful print of a Chinese and Japanese plate Lithograph Published by A.Morel, Paris, France, circa 1860 Unframed.
Category

English Chinoiserie Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Antique Set of 4 Oil Paintings Four Seasons by Guiseppe Mazzolini 19th Century
Located in London, GB
This is a magnificent set of four antique Italian oil on canvas paintings of the Four Seasons by Guiseppe Mazzolini (1806 - 1876), signed. These stunning paintings features four po...
Category

Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Canvas

Antique Print of an English Hunting Horse
Located in Langweer, NL
Antique print titled 'Englisches Jagdpferd'. Lithograph of an English hunting horse by Karl Joseph Brodtmann (1787-1862), one of the most accomplished ...
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Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Napoleon Shows Mercy to Princess Hatzfeld, 1806 - Emotional Historical Engraving
Located in Langweer, NL
Napoleon Shows Mercy to Princess Hatzfeld, 1806 - Emotional Historical Engraving This striking 19th-century engraving portrays the poignant scene of Princess Hatzfeld imploring Napo...
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Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Decorative Engraved Panthéon Paris in the 1800s by Bry & Benoist
Located in Langweer, NL
The image is an engraving of the Panthéon in Paris, created by Auguste Bry (1805–1880) and Philippe Benoist (1813–). The Panthéon originally served as a church dedicated to St. Gen...
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Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Pierre Adrien Chabal, Louis XVI Style Beauvais Tapestry Panel, France, C.1855
Located in Chatham, ON
PIERRE ADRIEN CHABAL-DUSSURGEY (1819-1902) Designer - BEAUVAIS TAPESTRY MANUFACTORY Maker - Important Antique Louis XVI style floral tapestry chair back - the floral tapestry finely woven in wool and silk threads with garlands and swags and tassels - all centered by a powder blue ground cartouche with white roses within an oval frame - suitable for framing - France - circa 1855. Excellent antique condition - minor fading and loss - areas of wear/thinning - no apparent restoration - minor stains and soiling with signs of age and use. Size/Dimensions - 20" (51 cm.) Wide x 19 1/2" (49.5 cm.) High. PIERRE ADRIEN CHABAL-DUSSURGEY - born Pierre Adrien Chabal in 1819 in Charlieu and adopting the professional name of CHABAL-DUSSURGEY - well known for his paintings and studies of flowers in gouache and oils - attended the School of Fine Arts in Lyon - exhibited at the Paris and Lyon salons - he worked with the Gobelins Tapestry Manufactory and the Beauvais Tapestry Manufactory after 1849 designing tapestries, rugs and tapestry covers for seating - he designed tapestries for the Élysée Palace and worked with Empress Eugenie on furnishings for the small salon at the Élysée Palace and two salons in the palace of the Empress in Biarritz - tapestry covered furniture...
Category

French Louis XVI Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Wool, Silk

Original Antique Print of Woodpeckers, 1847 'Unframed'
Located in St Annes, Lancashire
Great image of woodpeckers. Unframed. It gives you the option of perhaps making a set up using your own choice of frames. Lithograph after Cpt. Brown with original hand color. Pub...
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English Folk Art Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

The Castle of Stolzenfels on the Rhine, Large Chromolithograph, 1840
Located in Langweer, NL
Title for catalogue: The Castle of Stolzenfels on the Rhine, 1840 Detailed description: This vibrant chromolithograph from 1840 offers a striking view of the Castle of Stolzenfels...
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Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Original Antique Print of a Chinese Vase, 'Detail', France, circa 1860
Located in St Annes, Lancashire
Wonderful print of the decoration found on an antique Chinese vase Lithograph Published by A.Morel, Paris, France. circa 1860 Unframed.  
Category

English Chinoiserie Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Antique Lithograph of an Arabian Horse
Located in Langweer, NL
Antique print titled 'Cheval Arabe'. Lithograph of an Arabian horse. This print originates from Dictionnaire Universel (..)'. Published circa 1850.
Category

Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Original Antique Print of Boston, Massachusetts, circa 1850
Located in St Annes, Lancashire
Great print of Boston Steel engraving after the original drawing by W.H Bartlett Published circa 1850 Unframed.   
Category

English Other Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Hand-Coloured Lithograph Compilation of Medieval and Early Modern Weaponry, 1842
Located in Langweer, NL
Title: 19th-Century Hand-Coloured Lithograph Compilation of Swords, Firearms, and Weaponry Description: This expertly hand-coloured lithograph compilation features an impressive...
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Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Youthful Elegance: A Young Gentleman's Attire in 'Costume du Moyen Âge', 1847
Located in Langweer, NL
Title: "Youthful Elegance: A Young Gentleman's Attire in 'Costume du Moyen Âge'" Description: This lithograph, part of the 1847 "Costume du Moyen Âge" series, depicts a young gentle...
Category

Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Large Original Antique Natural History Print, Ostriches, circa 1835
Located in St Annes, Lancashire
Great image of ostriches Unframed. It gives you the option of perhaps making a set up using your own choice of frames. Lithograph after Cpt. Brown with original hand color. ...
Category

English Folk Art Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Large Original Antique Natural History Print, Rhinoceros, circa 1835
Located in St Annes, Lancashire
Great image of an Indian and a lesser two horn rhino Unframed. It gives you the option of perhaps making a set up using your own choice of frames. Lithograph after Cpt. brown with ...
Category

English Folk Art Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

19th Century Dutch Oil on Canvas Painting in Carved Gilt Frame After D. Teniers
By David Teniers
Located in Dallas, TX
Decorate an office or a study with this elegant antique painting on canvas. Created in Holland circa 1860 and set in the original carved gil...
Category

Dutch Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Canvas, Giltwood

19th Century American Folk Art Oil Painting Landscape Sailboats On River
Located in Stamford, CT
A 19th century American folk art oil painting on canvas depicting a river scene at dawn with a horse and rider on a bridge over a waterf...
Category

American Folk Art Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Canvas

Original Antique Print of Toucans, 1847, 'Unframed'
Located in St Annes, Lancashire
Great image of toucans Unframed. It gives you the option of perhaps making a set up using your own choice of frames. Lithograph after Cpt. brown with original hand color. Publishe...
Category

English Folk Art Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

19th Century Biedermeier Mahogany Wall Console Bracket
Located in Delft, NL
19th Century Biedermeier mahogany wall console bracket A mahogany wall console bracket with marble top. A sleek model with an acathus leaf moti...
Category

Dutch Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Wood

Set of Four Gerard Audran Antique Engravings Raphael Allegorical Caryatids
Located in Rochester, NY
After the 17th century prints of Gerard Audran ( founder of the school of engraving in Paris 1640-1703 ) a set of four signed Gerard Audran engravings on high quality embossed paper ...
Category

French Neoclassical Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Glass, Wood, Paper

Large Original Antique Natural History Print, Whales and Dolphins, circa 1835
Located in St Annes, Lancashire
Great image of whales and dolphins Unframed. It gives you the option of perhaps making a set up using your own choice of frames. Lithograph after Cpt. Brown, Gilpin and Edwards wit...
Category

English Folk Art Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Original Antique Print of a Hereford Bull, 1847 'Unframed'
Located in St Annes, Lancashire
Great image of a Herefordshire bull. Unframed. It gives you the option of perhaps making a set up using your own choice of frames. Lithograph with original hand color. Published 1...
Category

English Folk Art Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Romantic German Travelers on Horseback - 1840 Hand-Colored Engraving
Located in Langweer, NL
German Travelers - After Lucas Cranach, 1840 - Hand-Colored 19th Century Engraving This charming hand-colored engraving, titled "Voyageurs" ('Travelers'), is based on a design inspi...
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Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Hand-Coloured Jousting Litho: Knights on Striped and Starry Caparisoned Horses
Located in Langweer, NL
19th-Century Hand-Coloured Jousting Print: Knights on Striped and Starry Caparisoned Horses This splendid original hand-coloured lithograph, produced in 1842, offers a fascinating g...
Category

Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Post Office and St. Paul's Cathedral, London – Engraving by J. Shury, ca. 1850
Located in Langweer, NL
Post Office and St. Paul's Cathedral, London – Engraving by J. Shury This finely executed 19th-century engraving depicts the General Post Office building in London, with the iconi...
Category

Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Mid Century French Post-Impressionist Painting, 'The Atlantis' Monaco Landscape
Located in Cirencester, GB
Landscape Signed by Édouard Righetti (1924-2001) Inscribed Verso on back oil/gouache painting on artist paper, beautifully painted. very good condition size: 16 x inches x 20 ...
Category

Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Other

Swiss Victory Parade – Captured Burgundian Cannons Escorted by Bernese Troops
Located in Langweer, NL
Title: 1855 Swiss Victory Parade – Captured Burgundian Cannons Escorted by Bernese Troops Description: This exceptional hand-colored lithograph, created by H. Jenny and lithographe...
Category

Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Original Antique Print of Fish, 1847 Unframed
Located in St Annes, Lancashire
Great image of fish. Unframed. It gives you the option of perhaps making a set up using your own choice of frames. Lithograph after Cpt. Brown with original hand color. Published,...
Category

English Folk Art Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

A Cherished Masterpiece: Victorian Medallion with putti by the Wyon Family
Located in LA FERTÉ-SOUS-JOUARRE, FR
Discover a work of rare elegance, now available on our site: a finely sculpted marble medallion from the renowned Wyon family, celebrated for their contributions to the art of medal-...
Category

English Rococo Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Marble

19th Century Oak and Pine Wall Hanging Spice Box
Located in Bedfordshire, GB
A charming mid-19th century wall hanging Oak and pine spice box, or cabinet, having Four short drawers over one long drawer Retaining original brass knobs (Through history, spices have been a very sought after commodity for a whole variety of different reasons and therefore regarded as valuable items which deserved a special place to live and be stored within the home. This is a modest and humble example of an antique spice cabinet which has stood the test of time well and is now a really quite charming, as well as useful and functional piece of British history.)
Category

English Victorian Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Oak, Pine

Hand Colored Antique Print of a Hedgehog, Guinea Pig and Two Mice
Located in Langweer, NL
Original antique print of a hedgehog, guinea pig (?) and two mice species. This engraved print originates from a very rare unknown Dutch work. The plates are similar to the plates in...
Category

Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

1863 Hand-Colored Lithograph of European Hawk Moths and Caterpillars
Located in Langweer, NL
Title: 1863 Hand-Colored Lithograph of European Hawk Moths and Caterpillars – A Study of Life Cycles and Host Plants Description: This detailed 1863 hand-colored lithograph illu...
Category

Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

19th Century French Copper and Walnut "Bassinoire" Bed Warmer
Located in Dallas, TX
Decorate a kitchen wall with this French copper bassinoire, or bed warmer. Crafted in France circa 1880, the piece is dressed with a wooden handle, and features a copper vessel with lid...
Category

French Country Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Copper

Large Antique Italian Micro Mosaic plaque of St. Peters Square, Rome mid 1800's
By Vatican Mosaic Studio
Located in New York, NY
A Very Large and Exceptionally Fine Quality Antique Italian Micro-Mosaic Plaque Depicting "The Saint Peter Square" in Rome. The center medallion surrounded by a beautiful Laurel Wreath in multiple shades of Green Mosaic amidst a black Belgium Marble border. The interior rounded subject depicts Saint Peter Square which is found in Rome, Italy. The entire center panel is made up of a captivating array of tesserae in a variety of shapes and colors, which create this stunning mosaic construct. When inspected from up-close, small rectangular tesserae are found in an assortment of colors, which include: white, green, blue, red, black, brown, orange etc. When the subject is seen from afar, a fantastic image of the entire Saint Peter Square can be viewed as if a painting has been created. The oil on canvas of this scene, by was sold in Christie's Auction for over $2,000,000 USD. The plaque rests in a custom ebonized and gilt square frame. This can be used as a decorative object on the wall to serve as a painting, or, be converted to a table-top by mounting it on a table stand. Rome, Circa: 1850 Giovanni Paolo Panini (Piacenza 1691-1765 Rome), View of Saint Peter's Square, Rome. From Christie's Auction: Giovanni Paolo Panini arrived in Rome in 1711, painting capricci and architectural pieces in a vigorous if slightly eccentric style, and by 1719, when he was admitted to the Academy of St. Luke and the virtuosi al Pantheon, he was a rising star in the Roman art world. From around 1719-1726 he was much in demand for decorative frescoes, including quadratura, ornament and landscape and other genres, often in collaboration with figure or flower painters. During this period he worked for Cardinal Patrizi at Villa Patrizi, Cardinal Annibale Albani at Palazzo Albani (now del Drago) alle Quattro Fontane, Livio de Carolis at Palazzo de Carolis, Cardinal Alberoni at Palazzo Alberoni, Innocent XIII Conti in the Quirinal and in the library of S. Croce in Gerusalemme. In 1724 he married Caterina Gosset, the sister-in-law of Nicolas Vleughels, the director of the French Academy in Rome, to which he was admitted in 1732, and as a result he was much patronized by the French. During the 1720s he developed his figure style away from the awkwardness of his early works into one that concentrated on groups of stylishly-dressed aristocrats and skillfully modelled bystanders, sibyls and pseudo-antique figures. These he noted down in drawings (such as a sketchbook in the British Museum) that he drew upon to populate his paintings. He also began to receive commissions to design and record temporary festivals, often for French ambassadors to Rome. By the beginning of the 1730s Panini was developing a distinctive subgenre of the capriccio in which recognizable monuments are placed in imaginary topographical relationships, which were well-received in the classicizing era of Clement XII Corsini. In 1732 he was one of the panel of judges for the competition instituted by Clement for the Lateran façade, and in the following year painted an impressive View of Piazza del Quirinale for the pope. At about this time he was developing his best-known topographical subjects, interior views of St Peter's and the Pantheon, which were much in demand, to judge by the number of extant versions extending into the 1750s. By about 1734 he was beginning to attract the attention of English patrons, who ordered sets of Roman views, such as those at Marble Hill House (1738) and Castle Howard. In 1736, through Filippo Juvarra, he received important commissions from Philip V of Spain for scenes of the life of Christ in the Chinoiserie room at La Granja in Spain (1736). From as early as the 1720s he had been producing some vedute (view-paintings), initially based on prototypes by Gaspar van Wittel, and he developed the genre in subsequent decades in works that would include impressive panoramic views of the Forum or Palatine, although his staple genre was the capriccio rather than the veduta. He also expanded his repertory of church interiors, adding such churches as S. Paolo fuori le Mura and S. Agnese in Piazza Navona, as well as church interiors recording special events. His son by his first marriage, Giuseppe (1718-1805), began to support him in architectural and festival design projects. By the 1740s Panini was at the peak of his powers, and evidently had a considerable workshop helping him meet demand, especially of capricci to be used as overdoors and other decorative installations. Giovanni Paolo was successful in elevating himself socially above the usual artisanal status of genre painters, and would sometimes include a self-portrait in paintings commissioned by the great and powerful. He also appears to have been successful financially, and owned a substantial palazzo in via Monserrato. He increasingly concentrated on important commissions, such as a view of the Lottery in Piazza Montecitorio (London, National Gallery, 1743-1744), the designs for the festival decorations for the birth of the Dauphin in Palazzo Farnese (Waddesdon Manor, 1751), or the view of an imaginary picture gallery housing the collection of Cardinal Valenti Gonzaga (Wadsworth Atheneum, 1749). In the mid-1750s he received an important series of commissions from the Duc de Choiseul, French ambassador to Rome and soon to become one of the most powerful men in France, that included his best-known compositions, Ancient Rome (Roma Antica) and Modern Rome (Roma Moderna). These large paintings, of which there are three sets (in Boston and Stuttgart, the Metropolitan Museum, and the Louvre) represent imaginary picture galleries based on the Valenti Gonzaga composition but hung with what purport to be Panini's own vedute of ancient and modern sites respectively (with corresponding pieces of sculpture). These paintings sum up the eighteenth-century canon of the greatest works of architecture and sculpture, and the equivalence between modern and ancient Rome. By this time Panini was being assisted by his son by his second marriage, Francesco (1748-1800), who was a skilled draughtsman and painter who continued his father's work after his death in 1765. The Farnborough Hall paintings The Piazza S. Pietro and the Campidoglio are important vedute by Panini painted in 1750 and originally installed, with other works by Panini and Canaletto, in the seat of the Holbech family, Farnborough Hall, Warwickshire (National Trust). Farnborough Hall had been inherited in 1717 by William Holbech (circa 1699-1771), who is documented on the Grand Tour in Florence, Rome and Venice from late 1732 until his return home at the end of April 1734 with his brother Hugh. Holbech is said to have gone on the Grand Tour to recover from a broken heart and to have spent a considerable time there prior to these documented appearances. During his time in Rome he acquired two Paninis, which were seen by an anonymous antiquary around 1746, who referred to various sculptures "all brought from Rome with two pictures, one of the Rotunda, and the other of diverse buildings by Panino" (British Library, Add. MS 6230, pp. 31-32). The Rotunda (the Pantheon) is a painting now in a private collection in New York, and is signed and dated 1734. The Diverse Buildings, which was probably one of Panini's capricci, has not been identified. On his Grand Tour Holbech seems also to have acquired two Canalettos, although they are not mentioned by the antiquary, who may only have had eyes for things Roman. In about 1746-1747, Holbech remodelled the house by creating a Saloon, now the dining room, at the back of the house. This room, the entrance hall, the staircase, library and closet were stuccoed by William Perritt of York, and a bill for this work dated 14 November 1750 survives (or survived until recently; G. Beard, Decorative Plasterwork in Great Britain, London, 1975, p. 233). The two Canalettos acquired on the Grand Tour were installed in the Saloon, together with two new works commissioned from Canaletto, who was then in England and working nearby at Warwick Castle in 1748. The two Paninis acquired on the Grand Tour may have been installed in the Library, as Alastair Laing assumes (op. cit.), while three new works commissioned from Panini in Rome were placed in the Hall and Saloon: the Piazza S. Pietro for the overmantel in the Hall (fig. 1), the Campidoglio as the overmantel in the Saloon (fig. 2), and an Interior of St Peter's (now in Detroit) (fig. 3) on the adjacent wall facing the windows. Two of the Canalettos flanked the Campidoglio, while the others were on the opposite wall. The Interior of St Peter's was therefore effectively the fifth member of the Canaletto set, distinct from the two overmantels. Holbech's installation of his Canalettos and Paninis in fixed stucco frames was unusual for England in 1750, and had probably been inspired by what he had seen on his Grand Tour in Northern Italy, where fixed stucco installations of canvases were common in the 1720s and 1730s (Cornforth, II, p. 51). The Campidoglio and the Interior of St Peter's are both signed and dated 1750, a date that corresponds to the payments for the stucco. The commission for the new Paninis would have been made through an agent, possibly the Roman dealer in antiquities Belisario Amidei from whom some of the antique busts in the Hall were acquired in 1745, who was also a picture dealer; or perhaps the painter Pietro Berton, who on 7 December 1750 shipped a Panini to England. The paintings were sold to Savile Gallery in 1929 and replaced by copies by one Mohammed Ayoub. The four Canalettos were exhibited at Savile Gallery in 1930 and entered the London art trade, finding their way at various times to Augsburg, Melbourne, Ottawa and a private collection. The Paninis seem to have been resold immediately to Knoedler & Co. in New York. When the stucco was removed from the library by Holbech's great-grandson, another William Holbech, shortly after his succession in 1812, the Interior of the Pantheon and the Diverse Buildings may have been taken down. Although there is no record of either painting being at Farnborough subsequently, the Interior of the Pantheon at least must have remained there, since it appeared at Knoedler's in 1930 at about the same time as the other Paninis, and was presumably acquired at the same time from the same source. The Campidoglio was a rare subject for Panini: this is the only known extant version, apart from fictive versions in the Metropolitan Museum (1757) (figs. 4) and Louvre (1759) versions of his Roma Moderna composition (but not in the first Boston version of 1757). Probably Holbech insisted on the choice of subject in order to represent the centre of Rome's civic administration to complement the religious one of St Peter's. The Campidoglio may have been of interest to English patrons because it represented the seat of a form of government they were more comfortable with than the papacy. For example, Canaletto painted the subject, together with English subjects, for Thomas Hollis, 'the most bigoted of all Republicans' in 1755, who may have wanted to 'represent London as the heir to the legacy of Ancient Rome and Renaissance Italy' (see Michael Liversidge and Jane Farrington, eds., Canaletto and England, exhibition catalogue, Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery, London, 1993, p. 25). Canaletto also painted the subject for Sir Richard Neave, Ist Baronet (1731-1814) of Dagnam Park, Essex, at the end of his English stay or shortly afterwards (i.e. 1755-1766) (sold, Sotheby's, London, 10 July 2002, lot 8). Like Holbech, Neave mixed Venetian and Roman subjects, but his Roman subjects steer clear of St Peter's: the others were the Piazza del Quirinale and Piazza Navona. While Holbech had gone to both Venice and Rome and commissioned views of both cities, Rome sets the keynote for his decoration: antique busts line the Hall, and its religious and civic centres are the overmantels in the Hall and Saloon respectively. The Piazza S. Pietro The Piazza S. Pietro shows the piazza much as it appears today, apart from the absence of Valadier's late eighteenth-century clocks on the towers. Bernini's colonnade (1656-1667), both ends of which are visible, reaches out its arms to embrace the viewer. In the center of the piazza is the obelisk moved by Sixtus V in 1586 from the left side of the church where it had formed part of the Circus of Nero. On either side are two fountains, the one on the right by Carlo Maderno (1613) and the one on the left created to match it by Carlo Fontana in 1677. Beyond is the rectangular forecourt to the church, the piazza retta, leading to the façade by Maderno, completed in 1610, and the dome by Michelangelo, Giacomo della Porta and Domenico Fontana. To the right of the façade the roof of the Sistine Chapel is just visible, followed by the Cortile di S. Damaso, the palace of the Swiss Guards and the palace of Paul V. A Cardinal is being driven in a carriage across the piazza at the right in the direction of the Borgo Nuovo and Ponte S. Angelo with his blue-liveried retinue and subsidiary carriages. Unlike the later versions of the subject that depict the Duke de Choiseul, there seems to be no intent to portray any particular cardinal: the procession of a cardinal here is presented simply as characteristic activity within the piazza. Various groups of figures, including well-dressed women in brightly colored dresses, Swiss Guards, priests, gentlemen, idlers and a pilgrim are distributed around the piazza. In the foreground an imaginary heap of fallen masonry provides visual interest in an otherwise dead space. Panini painted the Piazza S. Pietro on a number of occasions, and his works falls into two types, one with the viewpoint shifted slightly to left of the axis, as in the Farnborough Hall version, and one with it shifted slightly to the right. The first type is based on a composition by Gaspar van Wittel, of which there are numerous versions from 1684 until 1721 (Fig. 9 van Wittel). The work by Panini that seems closest to Van Wittel and therefore probably the earliest is the version in the Circolo della Caccia, Rome, which has been dated to the second half of the 1730s, but is probably a decade or so earlier. Another, on the London art market in 2002-2009, and a version with workshop participation at Sotheby's, Milan (20 November 2007, lot 137) and currently on the art market in Rome, are closer to an important painting in Toledo (Arisi no. 308) that is signed and dated 1741 (fig. 6). Van Wittel employed a wide format (about 2:1), showed both of the end faces of the colonnade almost to their full extent, and introduced the theme of a heap of masonry to enliven the foreground. His choice of perspective implies a viewpoint located in the small piazza between the Borgo Nuovo and Borgo Vecchio, now the Piazza Pio XII at the top of the Via della Conciliazione. From this viewpoint a building at the left tended to interfere with the view of the end of the left arm, as can be seen from the Nolli map...
Category

Italian Louis XVI Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Glass

Antique Map of Switzerland by J. Tallis, circa 1851
Located in Langweer, NL
A decorative and detailed mid-19th century map of Switzerland which was drawn and engraved by J. Rapkin (vignettes by A. H. Wray & J. B. Allen) and published in John Tallis's Illustr...
Category

Antique Mid-19th Century Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

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