Baroque Wall Decorations

1920 Antique French Tapestry Wool & Silk Village Scene Framed 3x4 "A magnificent antique wool & silk French tapestry depicting a village scene amongst verdure."-ARS Size 3'4" x 4'...

1900 Antique French Tapestry Wool & Silk Game 7x7 Square 6'5" x 6'7" 196cm x 201cm "This is an outstanding antique French Aubusson tapestry in a fantastic large square size- This wo...

C. Maratta went to Rome in 1636 and became an apprentice in the Studio of Andrea Sacchi. Pope Alexander VII commissioned many paintings from him. Maratta’s paintings of the later 165...

1900 Antique French Tapestry Wool & Silk Game 7x7 Square 6'5" x 6'7" 196cm x 201cm "This is an outstanding antique French Aubusson tapestry in a fantastic large square size- This wo...

Decorate a wine cellar with this elegant pair of antique wall plaques. Created in France, circa 1880, and octagonal in shape, each charger...

A pair of Italian baroque paintings of Jesus Christ: - An 18th Century painting that depicts the Holy Family, Child Jesus, the Virgin Mary and the elderly Saint Joseph, with the An...

8 Baroque Style Erotic Prints of Compromised Aristocrats & Soldiers, I (I is our inventory tag) Italy, 20th Century Prints,  This suite of eight Italian Baroque-style erotic prints ...

captivating oil on canvas portrait of a monk, likely created in the 18th century by an artist of the Spanish school. The sitter is depicted with solemn intensity, his expressive fea...

" Ceres and Phytalus" To left, Phytalus, kneeling, receives the fig tree from the goddess Ceres, standing to right, as a reward for his hospitality. Etching and drypoint, circa 1662,...

"The Tears of Saint Peter", Follower Domenikos Theotokopoulos- El Greco 19th Century El Greco Museum. Toledo, Castilla la Mancha, Spain. Saint Peter's Tears El Greco (1541-1614) Oil...

18th century, Italian oil on canvas still life by Pietro Navarra Oil on canvas, canvas measures: cm H 103 x W 164, framed measures...

A good, signed, antique Dutch delft wall plaque with shaped edge in lozenge form. It depicts an early canal scene with bridge (and town in the bac...

Important Spanish School of the 17th century "Christ Carrying the Cross" Oil on canvas 73 x 60 cm with frame: 78cm x 65cm The work is inspired by ancient models, in particular by t...

Gorgeous blue hand painted Baroque cherub or angel 18th century style Portuguese ceramic tile/azulejo The tile painted in cobalt blue over white in typical 18th century Portugal set ...

Carlo Antonini (Italian, 1740-1821). Twelve antique engravings of architectural rosettes from throughout historic Italian buildings. Each depicts the profile and face view of the ros...

A handcrafted Italian glazed pottery putto wall bracket from the 1920s in mustard color and intricate details. The putto, a cherubic figure holding a vine ...

18th Century Antique French Tapestry Verdure Wool & Silk 7x11ft 213cm x 323cm "This is very fine antique Flemish tapestry made of wool & silk depicting noblemen beneath a large verd...

A stunning vintage Hong Kong brass tray, made in the 1940s. Handcrafted and hammered by hand, this unique treasure boasts a rich patina that tells stor...

Just arrived, this spectacular 65" H, Rare large Italian 18th Century, could be late 17Th. C., Hand Painted Wood Armorial Shield, Coat of Arms., from Naples, Italy This exception...

Flemish school 17th century "Our Lady with the Child Jesus, St. John, St. Elizabeth and Zacarias". Oil on canvas Relined. Dimensions: 74 x 84 cm good conditions.

A Beautiful Italian Still Life oil painting on old canvas of a brass urn holding a bouquet of assorted flowers set on a ledge. 18th or ...

This rare 17th century panel, carved in high relief, is museum quality and without doubt the work of an important Flemish master carver. It represents the biblical scene of Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem for the census. Multiple figures surround the center in a well balanced setting. Rich, deep color and great patina, which developed over about 400 years, make this piece of art exceptional. The panel is mounted on a later dusty rose velvet backing. Condition: Small part of backdrop on right is missing. Joseph’s left hand is missing. Measurements: Image size - 8 ½” W x 12 ¼” H x 2” D Back panel - 10 ¼” W x 14” H x ½” D Entire piece - 10 ¼” W x 14” H x 2 ½” D Weight: 2 lbs. 8 oz.  

A pair beautiful petite hand carved cherub angel Heads, found at an estate sale in Germany. Made by a woodcarver in the Tyrollean Area in Austria, this area is well-known for their w...

Tapestry from the Royal Manufacture of Aubusson, Louis XVI period , made in 1738 at the Gobelins One panel from a series of Gobelins tapestries depicting the History of Esther, illustrating Esther seated and attended by handmaidens, one washing her feet in golden basin, another fastening a bracelet, another offering a mirror, all observed by Mordecai, woven in the workshop of Michele Audran after a design by J. F. de Troy. The Toilet of Esther c.1778-85.Royal Collection Trust-Queens Audience Chamber Windsor Castle The Sketches for the Esther Cycle by Jean-François de Troy (1736) “and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mor’decai, ..., took for his own daughter.” (Est. 2:7) A supple and undulating genius, both a flattering portraitist and a prolix history painter, as well as a brilliant genre painter, in a gallant or worldly vein, Jean-François de Troy (Paris, 1679 – Rome, 1752), solicited, although he had passed the threshold of old age, a new royal commission up to his ambitions. To obtain it, he submitted – successfully - for the approval of the Bâtiments du roi (administration), seven modelli painted in 1736 with his usual alacrity. Inspired by one of the most novelistic texts of the Old Testament, the Book of Esther, these sketches in a rapid and virtuoso manner were transformed by the artist, between 1737 and 1740 into large cartoons intended to serve as models for the weavers of the Gobelins factory. Showing undeniable ease and skill in the composition in perfect harmony with the sensitivities of the times, the tapestry set met with great success. The Story of Esther perfectly corresponded to the plan of the Bâtiments du roi to renew the repertoire of tapestry models used for the weavers of the royal factories while it also conformed to the tastes of Louis XV’s subjects for a fantastical Orient, the set for a dramatic tale in which splendour, love and death were combined. Indeed, no tapestry set was woven in France during the 18th century as often as that of Esther. The series of modelli painted by de Troy during the year 1736 looks to the history of French painting and decoration under Louis XV as much as it does the history of the Gobelins. It probably counts among the most important rococo pictorial groups to have remained in private hands. First the Biblical source illustrated by De Troy which constitutes the base of one of the richest iconographical traditions of Western art will be considered. Then the circumstances and specific character of French civilisation during the reigns of Louis XIV and Louis XV which contributed to making the theme of Esther a relevant subject, both attractive to contemporaries and remarkably in line with the sensitivities of the time will be elucidated. An examination of the exceptional series of sketches united here, the cartoons and the tapestries that they anticipate as well as a study of their reception will close this essay. The Book of Esther: A scriptural source at the source of rich iconography. The origin of the Esther tapestry set by Jean-François de Troy – origin and creation of a masterpiece According to the evidence of one of the artist’s early biographers, the chevalier de Valory, author of a posthumous elegy of the master, read at the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture on 6 February 1762, it was apparently due to early16 rivalry with François Lemoyne (1688-1737), his younger colleague who had precisely just been appointed First Painter to the King in 1736, that had encouraged François de Troy to seek a commission allowing him to show off his ease and his promptitude at the expense of a rival who was notoriously laborious: “M. De Troy, retaining some resentment of the kind of disadvantage which he believed to have suffered compared with his emulator looked to regain some territory by making use of the facility his rival did not possess. Lemoyne was excessively long in the creation of his works,and M. De Troy of a rare celerity: consequently, with this particular talent, the latter offered to the court to make paintings appropriate to be executed at the Gobelins Factory; and it is to this circumstance that we owe the beautiful series of the Story of Esther, which would be sufficient alone to give him a great reputation.”17 Beyond the suspicion inspired by the topos, which still constitutes, more or less, a tale of rivalries between artists in ancient literature, there is probably some truth in what Valory reports although A.-J. Dezalier d’Argenville (who indicates rather spitefully that de Troy did not hesitate to “cut prices” to impose himself, benefitting from the productivity assured by the unlikely rapidity of his brush)18 proves to be more evasive: “As he looked to busy himself, he had offered to make the paintings that serve as models for the King’s tapestries cheaply: which did not please his colleagues. He was given a choice of two tapestry series to be made and he took the Story of Esther and that of Jason”.19 Whether or not the choice was actually left to de Troy (which would appear rather casual on the royal administration’s part all the same), it seems likely that the artist, whose contemporaries extol his “fire”, as the faculty of invention was then called, must have ardently aspired to the possibility of using on a very large scale the “creative genius” with which Dezallier d’Argenville credits him. The decoration of the private apartments, the fashion for which Louis XV had promoted at Versailles and Fontainebleau, offered little opportunity to excel in this area. Other than painting for altarpieces, only tapestries could allow comparison with Lemoyne who had been granted – unfortunately for him – a major decoration: the enormous ceiling of the Hercules Room at Versailles. Favoured by the recent improvement in France’s financial situation, the revival of patronage offered de Troy a commission fitting for him, in a field in which, however, he had hardly any experience. Anxious to renew the repertoire of models available to the Gobelins factory, the Duc d’Antin, surintendant des Bâtiments du roi from 1708 to 1736 followed by his successor, Philibert Orry comte de Vignory, gave him the task of producing seven large cartoons inspired by the Book of Esther corresponding to the brilliant sketches or modelli which de Troy had produced in one go, or almost (very few preparatory drawings can in fact be linked to the Esther cycle and all seem to be at the execution stage of the cartoons).20 Subjected to the approval of the Administration des Bâtiments according to the procedure in use for projects being planned for the Gobelins, sketches made rapidly during 1736 were approved and the project launched immediately. Thereupon came the news of François Lemoyne’s death, who, ground down by work and a victim of his private torment, committed suicide on 4 June 1737. Against all expectations, de Troy did not replace his rival in the position of First Painter (which remained vacant until the appointment of Charles Coypel in January 1747), which would perhaps have made him too obviously the beneficiary of the drama. The awarding of the position of Director of the French Academy in Rome came to console him while he had already produced (or he was in the process of finishing), in Paris, three of the seven cartoons of the cycle (The Fainting of Esther finished in 1737 and the Toilet and Coronation of Esther, both finished in 1738). De Troy, we can see, did not follow the order of the narrative but began with the subjects which apparently offered the least difficulty because he had already depicted them, or because they fall into a strong pictorial tradition (such is the case especially for the Fainting of Esther). He had hardly settled at the Palazzo Mancini in August 1738, when his first task which awaited the new director of the French Academy naturally consisted of honouring the royal commission and finishing without delay the final cartoons of the Story of Esther after the sketches he must have taken with him. As prompt as ever, de Troy discharged himself of the execution of the four remaining cartoons in only two years, by beginning with the largest format which allowed him to strike the imagination and to impose himself as soon as he arrived on the Roman stage: the Triumph of Mor’decai which was finished in 1739 (like Esther’s Banquet). The following year, the Mor’decai's Disdain and The Sentencing of Haman were brought to an end in the same Neo-Venetian style, obviously tributary to Veronese with its choice of “open” monumental architecture which is characteristic of the entire cycle.21 The series, it should be noted, was almost augmented with some additional scenes in the mid 1740s. Indeed, the first tapestry set finished at the Gobelins in 1744 proved to be unsuitable for the arrangement of the Dauphine’s apartments at Versailles for which it had been intended to decorate the walls the following year (cf infra). Informed of this, de Troy, considering that the story of Esther offered “several good subjects,” immediately offered to illustrate one or new subject among those “which could appear to be the most interesting”. The directeur des Bâtiments Orry, who managed the State’s accounts, obviously judged it less costly to have one of the tapestries widened to fill in the end of the Dauphine’s bedroom,22 which has probably deprived us of very original compositions, because de Troy had already illustrated the most famous themes, those that benefitted from a strongly established iconographical tradition and from which it was not easy to deviate The Tapestry Set of the Story of Esther Placed on the tapestry looms of the Gobelins at the end of the 1730s in Michel Audran’s workshop, the cycle created by de Troy aroused true infatuation. The few hundred tapestries made between 1738 and 1797 – all in high-warp tapestry and woven in wool and silk except for four in low-warp made in Neilson’s workshop – show the impressive success of a tapestry set that was without any doubt the most frequently woven of the 18th century in France. 29 Only three cartoons had been delivered by de Troy in 1738 when the first tapestry set was begun by Audran under the expert eye of Jean-Baptiste Oudry to whom the Directeur général des bâtiments, Philibert Orry had assigned the (weekly) supervision of the weaving. During the summer of 1738, the piece of the Fainting of Esther, which Oudry judged to be admirable, was finished. During the winter of 1742, Oudry informed Orry that about two ells of the Triumph of Mor’decai had been made “with no faults”,that the Coronation of Esther was finished and that the Esther at her Toilet “a very gracious tapestry” was “a little over half” finished. Exhibited at Versailles in 1743, these two last pieces were admired by Louis XV and the Court. On 3 December 1744, the set of seven tapestries was finally delivered to the Garde Meuble. It was intended, the honour was not slight, to decorate the apartments of the Infanta Maria Teresa Rafaela of Spain whose marriage to the young Dauphin Louis-Ferdinand had been fixed for the following year (it took place on 23 February 1745). Apparently it was thought that the theme of Esther the biblical heroine and wife of a foreign sovereign was appropriate for the apartments of the Spanish Dauphine. As early as the month of March, the architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel informed de Troy that her grand cabinet was decorated with the “Esther tapestry set” specifying however that “for lack of two small or one large piece, we have not been able to decorate the end of the room”. This difficulty led immediately to the Banquet episode being woven a second time in two parts (they were delivered to the Garde-Meuble on 30 December 1746) to garnish the panels on each side of the bed of the Dauphine who would hardly enjoy them (she died on 22 July 1746 and the decoration was installed for the new Dauphine Maria Josepha of Saxony). The appearance of the set’s remarkable border, which imitated a richly sculpted wooden frame, should be mentioned. Conceived in 1738 by the ornamentalist Pierre Josse-Perrot and used in the later weavings until 1768, it tended to reinforce the resolutely painterly appearance of the tapestry set which, in this regard, pushed the art of tapestry as far as its ultimate mimetic possibilities. With the exception of Mor’decai's Disdain which had been removed earlier, the “editio princeps” of the story of Esther (from then on in nine pieces) remained at Versailles until the Revolution. Of the eight surviving tapestries, four are at the chateau of Compiègne and four belong today to the Mobilier National. No less than seven tapestry sets reputed to be complete (one of them in fact only had six tapestries) would be produced officially at the Gobelins up to 1772. Literature: 1- The Œuvres mêlées of an emulator of Racine, the Abbé Augustin NADAL thus include an Esther. Divertissement spiritual which is exactly contemporary with Jean François de Troy’s cycle since it was performed in 1735 and published in Paris three years later. 2-Le Siècle de Louis XIV, 1751, 1785 ed., p. 96-97 for French ed. 3- Lemoyne and de Troy had been obliged to share the First Prize in the competition organised in 1727 between the most prominent history painters of the Académie Royale. 4- Mémoires…, pub. L. DUSSIEUX et al., 1854, II, p.265. 5-The fact that de Troy, at the risk of falling out with his colleagues, did not hesitate to make use of prices in order to convince the new directeur des Bâtiments Philibert Orry, is confirmed by Mariette who adds tersely “it caused much shouting” (pub. 1851-1860, II, p. 103). 6- Abrégé de la vie des plus fameux peintres…, ed. 1762, IV, p. 368-369 20 Early comments on the painter are inclined to present him as a kind of “pure painter”, doing without the medium of drawing, a few intermediary studies between the Esther sketches and the large cartoons at the Louvre nevertheless show that de Troy used red chalk (see in the catalogue, the notice for the Meal of Esther and Ahasuerus under the entry drawing) to change one or other figure. 7-C. GASTINEL-COURAL (cat. exp. PARIS, 1985, p. 9-13) as well as the article by J. VITTET, exh. cat. LA ROCHE-GUYON, 2001, p. 51-55. 8-The Hermitage in St. Petersburg conserves five tapestries of these two royal gifts whose provenance still awaits elucidation (as far as we are aware). In 1766, the Grand Marshal of Russia, Count Razumovski (or Razamowski), acquired the Fainting and the Banquet extracted from the sixth weaving (J. VITTET, 2001, p. 53). 9- Lettres écrites de Suisse, d’Italie…,quoted by J. VITTET, op. cit., p. 54. 10-The tapestry set remained in the hands of a branch of the Hapsburg-Lorraine family until 1933 (ibid. P. 54). 11-Quoted by Chr. LERIBAULT, 2002, p. 97, note 269. 12-Y. CANTAREL-BESSON, 1992, p. 241. Catalogue The Esther at her Toilet Oil on canvas, 57 x 51 cm Provenance: Painted in 1736 at the same time as the six other modelli of the Story of Esther intended to be presented, for approval, to the direction des Bâtiments du Roi; perhaps identifiable among a lot of sketches by Jean-François de Troy in the post mortem inventory of the amateur, historian and critic Claude-Henri Watelet (1718-1786) drawn up on 13 January 1786 and following days (A.N. T 978, n° 30) then in the sale of the property of the deceased, Paris, 12 June 1786, n° 33; Paris, François Marcille Collection (who owned a series of six sketches from which the Triumph of Mor’decai was missing, see infra); Paris, Marcille Sale, Hôtel Drouot, 12-13 January 1857, n° 36; Asnières, Mme de Chavanne de Palmassy ( ?) collection; Paris, Galerie Cailleux; Paris, Humbert de Wendel collection (acquired from the Galerie Cailleux in 1928); by inheritance in the same family; Paris, Sotheby’s, 23 June 2011, n° 61. In order not to add unnecessarily to the technical commentary on each work, the catalogue raisonné by Chr. Leribault which contains a substantial bibliography on the series should be referred to. The other bibliographical references only concern the publications and exhibitions to have appeared and been presented more recently. Bibliography and Exhibitions: Chr. LERIBAULT, 2002, n° P. 247 (repr.); E. LIMARDO DATURI, 2004, p. 28; Exh. cat. NANTES, 2011, p. 138, n° 34, referred to in note 1; Sotheby’s catalogue, Tableaux anciens et du XIXe siècle, 23 June 2011, n° 61 (repr.). Related Works: Tapestry cartoon: The cartoon (oil on canvas, 329 x 320 cm), the third made by the artist in Paris after the sketches had been approved by the direction des Bâtiments, is in the Louvre (Inv. 8315). It previously bore the painter’s signature and the date 1738 (inscriptions which are found on the tapestries). The royal administration paid 1600 livres for it on 21 June 1738 and it was exhibited at the Salon in the year of its creation. Summary Biography 1679 (27 January): Baptism in Paris (Parish of St. Nicolas du Chardonnet) of Jean-François de Troy, son of the painter François de Troy and Jeanne Cotelle, sister of the painter Jean II Cotelle. 1696-1698: Studies (apparently rather turbulent) at the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture. 1698-1708: First trip to Italy. Is obliged to leave Rome in January 1711 after a tempestuous affair (a duel?), de Troy extends the traditional Roman experience as a pensionnaire at the Académie de France by also visiting Tuscany where he stays for a long time, Venice (his art in face has a strongly Venetian character) and Genoa. 1708: De Troy (whose father had been elected Director of the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture on 7 July) is agréé and immediately received at the Académie with Apollo and Diana Piercing with their Arrows the Children of Niobe (Montpellier, Musée Fabre) on 28 July. 1710: First royal commission, paid for on 10 May (a sketch representing “the Promotion of the Order of the Holy Spirit” for the tapestry series of the History of the King). 1716: Jean-François de Troy is elected Assistant Professor at the Academy. 1720: He is appointed Professor. 1723: The artist creates the double portrait of Louis XV...

1870 original religious painting. Cherubs Signed by S.Barber Interior measurements: 48.42in x 39.76in Frame: 2.75 in.

A large Flemish 17th-18th century baroque pictorial tapestry "The Royal Garden". The large tapestry depicting an allegorical park-scene of R...

Musical automaton picture clock by Xavier Tharin, c. 1860 Paris, hand-colored lithographed scene depicting a Mediterranean harbor scene with abbey, ...

A charming pair of Italian winged putti wall brackets, exquisitely carved and gilded, with shell form tops coming from a Milanese private collection, of Italian origin. Good age r...

This is a large gorgeous Large Antique 17th Century Brussels Religious Tapestry depicting a scene with a bishop and attendants standing on the right, along with kneeling and standing...

A panel of voided Olive Green silk velvet showing the Ferronerie pattern Centre panel of a dismantled Chasuble Florence or Venice dating from second half of the 15th Century The s...

Antique French Tapestry Verdure Birds Wool & Silk 1920 6x7 6' x 7'3" 221cm x 183cm "A magnificent antique French tapestry depicting birds amongst a verdure setting. Beautiful colo...

Antique French Tapestry Wool & Silk Masquerade Vase Exotic Flowers 4x5 1920 4' x 4'8" 122cm x 142cm "A magnificent antique French tapestry depicting an ornate vase full of flowers....

Della Robbia style sculpted portrait plaque of Jeweled Maiden, by Cantagalli An impressive late 19th century example, subtly detailed, three dimensional circular portrait...

Magnificent Italian 17th century Portrait of Virgin Mary measures 52 x 68 cm without the frame. The colors are stunning and the paintin...

A Fine Italian 19th Century Oil Painting on Canvas "La Madonna della Seggiola" after Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino 1483-1520). The circular painted canvas depicting a seated Madonna holding an infant Jesus Christ next to a child Saint John the Baptist, all within a massive carved two-tone gilt wood, gilt-patinated and gesso frame, which is identical to the frame on Raphael's original artwork. This painting is a 19th Century copy of Raphael's Madonna della Seggiola painted in 1514 and currently exhibited and part of the permanent collection at the Palazzo Pitti, Galleria Palatina, Florence, Italy. The bodies of the Virgin, Christ, and the boy Baptist fill the whole picture. The tender, natural looking embrace of the Mother and Child, and the harmonious grouping of the figures in the round, have made this one of Raphael's most popular Madonnas. The isolated chair leg is reminiscent of papal furniture, which has led to the assumption that Leo X himself commissioned the painting. Circa: 1890-1900. Subject: Religious painting Painting diameter: 28 inches (71.1 cm) Frame height: 55 1/8 inches (140 cm) Frame width: 46 inches (116.8 cm) Frame depth: 5 1/8 inches (13 cm) Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (Italian, March 28 or April 6, 1483 - April 6, 1520), known as Raphael, was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of composition, and visual achievement of the Neoplatonic ideal of human grandeur. Together with Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, he forms the traditional trinity of great masters of that period. Raphael was enormously productive, running an unusually large workshop and, despite his death at 37, leaving a large body of work. Many of his works are found in the Vatican Palace, where the frescoed Raphael Rooms were the central, and the largest, work of his career. The best known work is The School of Athens in the Vatican Stanza della Segnatura. After his early years in Rome much of his work was executed by his workshop from his drawings, with considerable loss of quality. He was extremely influential in his lifetime, though outside Rome his work was mostly known from his collaborative printmaking. After his death, the influence of his great rival Michelangelo was more widespread until the 18th and 19th centuries, when Raphael's more serene and harmonious qualities were again regarded as the highest models. His career falls naturally into three phases and three styles, first described by Giorgio Vasari: his early years in Umbria, then a period of about four years (1504–1508) absorbing the artistic traditions of Florence, followed by his last hectic and triumphant twelve years in Rome, working for two Popes and their close associates. Raphael was born in the small but artistically significant central Italian city of Urbino in the Marche region, where his father Giovanni Santi was court painter to the Duke. The reputation of the court had been established by Federico III da Montefeltro, a highly successful condottiere who had been created Duke of Urbino by the Pope - Urbino formed part of the Papal States - and who died the year before Raphael was born. The emphasis of Federico's court was rather more literary than artistic, but Giovanni Santi was a poet of sorts as well as a painter, and had written a rhymed chronicle of the life of Federico, and both wrote the texts and produced the decor for masque-like court entertainments. His poem to Federico shows him as keen to show awareness of the most advanced North Italian painters, and Early Netherlandish artists as well. In the very small court of Urbino he was probably more integrated into the central circle of the ruling family than most court painters. Federico was succeeded by his son Guidobaldo da Montefeltro, who married Elisabetta Gonzaga, daughter of the ruler of Mantua, the most brilliant of the smaller Italian courts for both music and the visual arts. Under them, the court continued as a centre for literary culture. Growing up in the circle of this small court gave Raphael the excellent manners and social skills stressed by Vasari. Court life in Urbino at just after this period was to become set as the model of the virtues of the Italian humanist court through Baldassare Castiglione's depiction of it in his classic work The Book of the Courtier, published in 1528. Castiglione moved to Urbino in 1504, when Raphael was no longer based there but frequently visited, and they became good friends. He became close to other regular visitors to the court: Pietro Bibbiena and Pietro Bembo, both later cardinals, were already becoming well known as writers, and would be in Rome during Raphael's period there. Raphael mixed easily in the highest circles throughout his life, one of the factors that tended to give a misleading impression of effortlessness to his career. He did not receive a full humanistic education however; it is unclear how easily he read Latin. Early Life and Works His mother Màgia died in 1491 when Raphael was eight, followed on August 1, 1494 by his father, who had already remarried. Raphael was thus orphaned at eleven; his formal guardian became his only paternal uncle Bartolomeo, a priest, who subsequently engaged in litigation with his stepmother. He probably continued to live with his stepmother when not staying as an apprentice with a master. He had already shown talent, according to Vasari, who says that Raphael had been "a great help to his father". A self-portrait drawing from his teenage years shows his precocity. His father's workshop continued and, probably together with his stepmother, Raphael evidently played a part in managing it from a very early age. In Urbino, he came into contact with the works of Paolo Uccello, previously the court painter (d. 1475), and Luca Signorelli, who until 1498 was based in nearby Città di Castello. According to Vasari, his father placed him in the workshop of the Umbrian master Pietro Perugino as an apprentice "despite the tears of his mother". The evidence of an apprenticeship comes only from Vasari and another source, and has been disputed—eight was very early for an apprenticeship to begin. An alternative theory is that he received at least some training from Timoteo Viti, who acted as court painter in Urbino from 1495.Most modern historians agree that Raphael at least worked as an assistant to Perugino from around 1500; the influence of Perugino on Raphael's early work is very clear: "probably no other pupil of genius has ever absorbed so much of his master's teaching as Raphael did", according to Wölfflin. Vasari wrote that it was impossible to distinguish between their hands at this period, but many modern art historians claim to do better and detect his hand in specific areas of works by Perugino or his workshop. Apart from stylistic closeness, their techniques are very similar as well, for example having paint applied thickly, using an oil varnish medium, in shadows and darker garments, but very thinly on flesh areas. An excess of resin in the varnish often causes cracking of areas of paint in the works of both masters. The Perugino workshop was active in both Perugia and Florence, perhaps maintaining two permanent branches. Raphael is described as a "master", that is to say fully trained, in December 1500. His first documented work was the Baronci altarpiece for the church of Saint Nicholas of Tolentino in Città di Castello, a town halfway between Perugia and Urbino. Evangelista da Pian di Meleto, who had worked for his father, was also named in the commission. It was commissioned in 1500 and finished in 1501; now only some cut sections and a preparatory drawing remain. In the following years he painted works for other churches there, including the Mond Crucifixion (about 1503) and the Brera Wedding of the Virgin (1504), and for Perugia, such as the Oddi Altarpiece. He very probably also visited Florence in this period. These are large works, some in fresco, where Raphael confidently marshals his compositions in the somewhat static style of Perugino. He also painted many small and exquisite cabinet paintings in these years, probably mostly for the connoisseurs in the Urbino court, like the Three Graces and St. Michael, and he began to paint Madonnas and portraits. In 1502 he went to Siena at the invitation of another pupil of Perugino, Pinturicchio, "being a friend of Raphael and knowing him to be a draughtsman of the highest quality" to help with the cartoons, and very likely the designs, for a fresco series in the Piccolomini Library in Siena Cathedral. He was evidently already much in demand even at this early stage in his career. Influence of Florence Raphael led a "nomadic" life, working in various centres in Northern Italy, but spent a good deal of time in Florence, perhaps from about 1504. Although there is traditional reference to a "Florentine period...

Italian 18th Century Miniature Capriccio with Ruins and Figures attr. to Giovanni Panini. Beautifully executed Gouache miniature painting of Roman ruins and figures. It is attribute...

Attribution of Mattia Preti " Salvator Mundi " 17th Century Italian painting from the 17th century depicting the figure of the infant Jesus as Salvator Mundi (Savior of the World),...

Wonderful highly polished pewter chargers. Measure: (20.5 inches). English, mid 18th century. Most likely, London Some showing traces of the touchmarks similar to hallmarks on silv...

An exceptionally executed oil on canvas Baroque painting depicting "lovebirds" Paolo Malatesta and Francesca Da Rimini whispering to one another. At the feet of Paoio there is a dog symbol...

Important 19th Century Italian Parade Plate Polychrome ceramic, with a wide brim, short frill, and a wide base. Reverse with ring support. Decoration on the rim with harpies and fan...

This is a gorgeous antique 17th century Flemish Verdure Tapestry depicting the noble children playing in the woods. The p...

A pair of antique Altar Frontals Dating from 18th Century Gold silk ground brocaded with a Crown above Eight Point Stars , Cross, and stylized Pomegranates Lined in crimson silk ...

This large cartouche panel was carved from wood and hand-painted with a central coat of arms in Italy during the 1700’s. Inspired by a 16th century Fr...

Important oil on panel by the great Dutch artist Philips Wouwerman (also Wouwermans) (1619 – 1668) a painter of hunting, landscape and battle scenes....

Monumental carved giltwood baroque wall bracket, with carved foliate scroll and putti motif. An unusually large wall bracket.  

The hand-colored botanical print, Corona Imperialis Polyanthos or Crown Imperial Lily, was originally by Basil Besler (1561-1629) a Nuremberg, Germany pharmacist, and published in t...

Antique French Tapestry Rare Fountain and scenery Large Tapestry 5x7 1920 circa 1920 "A magnificent antique French tapestry depicting a scenic river including a fountain and a ...

This is an absolutely stunning 18th century topographical painting, genre of which known as “veduta”. The crucial role in the development of that genre played Caspar van Wittel or Gaspar van Wittel -known in Italian as Gaspare Vanvitelli...

A Religious oil painting on canvas of Jesus Christ carrying the cross on the way to his crucifixion. This European piece of art is probably 17th-18th Century. This art piece was disc...

Pair of 19th century Italian gilt wall brackets. Brackets have beautifully carved and painted acanthus leaves topped with a flat shelf. Wonderful old patina. Brass hardware is affixe...

18th Century Antique French Tapestry Verdure Wool & Silk 7x11ft 213cm x 323cm "This is very fine antique Flemish tapestry made of wool & silk depicting noblemen beneath a large verd...

Barthelemy Roger (Ladeve 1767- 1841 Saulx-les-Chartreux) “Marie Antoinette de Lorraine-d’Autriche, Reine de France”, after Elisabeth Louise Vigée-Le Brun, 1828, engraving, inscribed “Peint par Rossline de Suédois / Dessiné par Monanteuil / Gravé par B. Roger 1828” This engraving of Marie Antoinette was wonderfully done by Barthemely Roger in 1828. It is beautifully framed in the original 19th century gold gilded frame.

A Baroque style French walnut bracket with hand-carved putti, circa 1800. Born during the tumultuous years of the early 19th century, this French bracket features a semi-circular sha...

Antique French Tapestry Verdure Noblemen Royalty Verdure 5x9 158cm x 272cm 1920 A magnificent antique French tapestry depicting a scene of noblemen amongst incredible, exotic verdur...

Fine 17th century Baroque period silk and metallic thread embroidery panel. Excellent vibrant colors of bold burgundy, pale cream and beautiful, elegant teal with a border of textur...

Important English School " LADY HAMILTON " 18th Century Oil on canvas, 18th century English school. Signed. Small defects. Dim.: 124 x 99 cm good conditions

Early copy of Dutch painting. Oil on canvas in antique style wooden frame. “Elisabeth Bas (1571, in Kampen – 2 August 1649 in Amsterdam) was a figure in the Dutch Republic. She was the wife of Jochem Hendrickszoon Swartenhont, an admiral in the navy of the Dutch Republic and military hero. The portrait is now in the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, where it is known as Elisabeth Bas and attributed to Ferdinand Bol...

17th century, Pair of paintings depicting Architectural Caprices with Bacchanal and Sacrifice Scene, Alberto Carlieri (Rome 1672-1720) Oil on canvas; Dimensions: canvas cm H 73.5 x W...

Superb French hand-painted watercolor/gouache miniature on a bone panel. It depicts Bacchus and Ariane in a courting scene set in a mountainous landscape. The 18th century miniature is a version of the painting by Charles Joseph Natoire (1700-1777). It is a small but elegant painting with amazing quality details. It is mounted in a hand carved polychrome and gilded Spanish Baroque style wood frame...

A pair of Oil Italian Baroque paintings: - A 17th Century baroque painting of a sideview of Jesus Christ Salvator Mundi or Saviour of the World in sfumato Saint Savior of the Worl...

Magnus Jørgensen (1683-1738), Denmark. Painting: "Two Gentlemen at a Well-Laid Table." Signed: Magnus Jørgens(en) Pinxit et invenit Ao 1724. Oil on canvas, mounted in later black fr...

An Incredible and Quite Rare 19th Century KPM Porcelain Plaque after Gerrit Dou (Student of Rembrandt, Titled "The Schoolmaster" c. 1671. The porcelain plaque is incredible with the...

Antique French Aubusson Tapestry Birds Wool & Silk Large 5x9 1900 4'10" x 9'2" 148cm x 280cm "This is an outstanding antique French Aubusson tapestry in a fantastic large square size- This wool & silk treasure incorporates impeccable attention to detail- Depicting a scene of Hermes and Mercury...

The beautiful and intriguing 19th century portrait of John the Baptist, oil on wood, in style of Francisco Goya, signed lower left by French painter Saint Cyr Anduze. The painting i...

Italian 17th century still life painting in period carved gilt frame Italian school still life painting from the workshop of a great master. The 17th century Baroque painting in oil...

A collection of 18 framed prints from engravings of musical instruments from the book by Gabinetto Armonico, which was published in 1722. The book had a total of 150 instruments. The...

Early 17th century French School "Virgin and Child " Oil on canvas (Original canvas, restorations, gaps) 71.5 x 60.3 cm Provenance Duc de Lesdiguières, according to an old label ...

17th century French Baroque wool and silk tapestry. Work of Felletin, ca 1690 France.

A large palatial Flemish baroque historical tapestry depicting a battle scene, with soldiers to the foreground on land, the opposing army arriving by sea, with a city under siege to ...

An imposing religious-themed painting depicts the scene of the "Assumption of the Virgin". The iconography in this 19th-century painting follows the tendencies of Baroqueization and ...

1890 Antique French Tapestry Arts & Crafts Ceremonial 8x9 7'10" x 8'5" 239cm x 257cm 1890 "This is an outstanding very large antique French tapestry- This room size piece incorporat...

This six panel Italian screen is from the Baroque period, circa 1700. The four central panels have been affixed to a foldable frame, while the two outer panels are detached. When all...

A rare pair of Flemish 18th century "Verre Églomisé" Reverse Glass Paintings, each depicting riverfront scenes with figures, fishermen castles, co...