Continental Europe - Wall Decorations

Title: Zuni Sacred Spring - Lithograph from the Pacific Railroad Survey, 1856 Description: This lithograph, "Zuni Sacred Spring," presents a rare and evocative depiction of a sacr...

19th Century Painting with Swans on a Lake at Sunset The antique oil painting, presented in a gilded wooden frame, was created on canvas in the l...

Antique map titled 'Kaart van Oost Indie'. Old map of the East Indies. It shows the routes of Captain William Dampier's voyage throughout the regio...

Artist: Both the beginning and the end of Charles Eyck's life (1897 - 1983) took place in the Dutch province of Limburg. In his life he produced paintings, sculptures, buildings and stained glass. After studying in Asmterdam he won the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1922. With the prize money he travelled through France and Italy to study art. Charles got inspired on his trip by fresco's and mosaic's from the 14th and 15th century, this influence can be spotted in a lot of his works later in his life. Eyck's work is still alive today as a lot of his assignments were for public institutes and churches which still can be visited. In the LImburg' village of Meerssen a chruch has been build that he designed. During the second world war he was not allowed to sell art...

Title: 19th-Century Lithograph of Early Stone Tools from 'Der Rittersaal' Series Description: This unique monochromatic lithograph showcases a collection of early stone tools, met...

A beautiful antique pub scene themed wall decoration plate or sign. This decorative item would make a beautiful ornament on each wall. Made in the 1890s it i...

Antique print titled 'Nice, vue prise de la hauteur de l'ancien Château'. Original antique print of the city of Nice, France. This print originates from 'Nice Et Savoie, Sites Pittor...

Beautiful 1970's Reichel Skansen Wall Tapestry with abstract design. Nice example of a Mid Century wall decoration / rug. Yellow, ochre, rust, brown & mustard colourways. Measurement...

Laos Siamois – Orchids and Epiphytes of Laos c.1873 This large and vividly coloured print depicts a lush collection of orchids and epiphytes found in the forests of Laos. The compos...

This hand-colored engraving, titled "Avis mellivora viridis macroura" (Long-Tailed Green Hummingbird) and "Le Colibri-Vert à longue-queue" in French, is a stunning depiction of a gre...

Venetian school of the 17th century. Great oil on canvas artwork depicting a biblical episode, the sacrifice of Isaac. To test the faith of Abraham, a just and devout man, God orders...

Vincent Van Den Meersch was a belgian painter who played an important role in the Belgian contemporary art. Until the early 1950s, Vincent Van Den Meersch painted expressionist works...

Original Vintage Poster for Mossant Hats dating from 1938 by Leonetto Cappiello. Artist: Leonetto Cappiello Title: Mossant Date: 1938 Size: 47.25 X 63 in / 120 X 160 cm Printer : Editions Nouvelles Cappiello, EDIMO, 15 rue Galvani - Paris Materials and Techniques: Colour lithograph on paper Linen backing: Yes Condition: A (Normally designates a poster in very good condition. Colours are fresh and there is very little or no paper loss. Any imperfections are marginal and unnoticeable). Additional Details: The headquarters Mossant was founded in 1833 by Casimir Mossant. The company is developing thanks in particular to the development of the railway, which allows for distant supplies and expeditions. In the 1920s, the firm Mossant is at its peak. The factory employs 1,200 workers and produces up to 2000 hats per day, nearly half of which is in the United States. After 1929, the economic crisis affected exports and the company diversified its production of felt (bags, berets, ...). Hat manufacturing activity declined and, in the 1950s, the factory's activity was converted into apparel until 1985, when the company was wound up. About Leonetto Cappiello, The Father of Modern Advertising Leonetto Cappiello, born on April 9, 1875, in Livorno, Italy, is considered a pioneer in the world of advertising, often referred to often hailed as the "father of modern advertising." His groundbreaking work in poster design revolutionized the industry and cemented his status as a visionary artist. Cappiello was renowned for his innovative and impactful poster designs, characterized by bold colors, simple forms, strong outlines and a strong focus on the product. His work significantly influenced the development of advertising as an art form. Initially drawn to caricature, Cappiello's true genius blossomed when he shifted his focus to poster art. His innovative approach, marked by bold colors, simple colours, simplified forms, strong outlines and a strong emphasis on product identification, set him apart from his contemporaries. Cappiello’s posters were instantly recognizable, capturing the essence of a product or brand in a single, powerful image. His work significantly influenced the development of advertising as an art form. The artist's career flourished in Paris, where he immersed himself in the vibrant artistic scene and his work spanned various industries: Food and Beverage: Campari, Cinzano, Café Martin...

Unique wall tapestry by Jean Leuenberger

"Rare 1582 Copper Engraving of Hanseatic House, Antwerp by Guicciardini" This copper engraving, published in 1582 by Christoph Plantin in Antwerp, presents the impressive Hanseatic ...

Title: Rare Tinted Lithograph of Istanbul, 1852 Description: This exquisite tinted lithograph depicts a vibrant view of Istanbul, crafted by L. Haghe after Fossati and Gayer. Produc...

Rare and vintage Tunisian carpet, embroidered like a tissue for wall - Private Italian collection - IDEA: use this item as tapestry on the wall or on ...

Sibylle Collection, the first collaboration between Studiopepe and Once Milano, is a celebration of the senses viewed as precious tools for exploring and interpreting reality. The fr...

Authentic Italian Fresco in Roman Style – Garden Landscape with Villa, Inspired by Tivoli A remarkable piece of Italian wall art inspired by the classical Roman villas of Tivoli an...

Beautiful vintage French Aubusson style tapestry with a nice design of the women and men of the town near the river inside the wood. and with beautiful colours, entirely woven with w...

Original Art Deco Poster-Jean Don-Jane Marny-Actress -France, 1930 Poster for the actress and singer Jane Marny known for "Not on the Mouth" "The fortune" and "Paris-Soleil" Poster ...

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

Antique map titled 'Carte du Canal des Iles Philippines - Kaart van het Kanaal in de Filippynsche Eilanden'. Large detailed chart of the islands of the Philippines. One of the most detailed charts of the Philippines of the era. Shows Islands, bays, reefs, soundings tracks of the Manila Galleon route, etc. Includes a large compass...

Fine 18th century portrait of a lady, unsigned, circa 1750, Sweden. (reframed, oil on canvas) According to old frame painted by Johan Horner (...

This print presents a fascinating collection of historical helmets and headpieces, each representing a unique style and period. At the top left, there is a helmet with a visor and ne...

Beautiful large vintage school map, school poster about ergot (Claviceps purpurea), a fungus that grows on the ears of cereals such as rye and wheat and other grasses such as cocksfo...

Antique costume print titled 'Hottentote'. Original antique print of a female Khoikhoi (Khoekhoen). This print originates from 'Moeurs, usages et costumes de tous les peuples du mond...

This engraving presents a profile view of the Sphinx, capturing its grandeur alongside the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. It is a testament to the ancient ...

Antique print titled 'Pl. 77 Pruim Var. Jefferson'. This print originates from: 'Nederlandsche Flora en Pomona, beschreven en uitgegeven door het Bestuur der Pomologische Vereeniging...

Beautiful black and white lithograph by the great 20th century Italian artist Umberto Mastroianni. This work best represents the work of one of the greatest artists of the European a...

Beautiful French tapestry with nice design of the party in town, and beautiful colors, mechanical Jaquar manufacturing with wool and cotton. ✨✨✨ "Experience the epitome of luxury an...

Early 20th Century Oil on Canvas Matterhorn Artwork By unknown artist, from France In fair condition, with minor wear consistent of age and use, preserving a beautiful patina

19th-Century Hand-Coloured Jousting Scene with Vibrant Striped and Floral Caparisons This magnificent original hand-coloured lithograph, produced in 1842, offers a captivating gli...

Decorative ceramic tile by Antoni Gaudi, inspired by the marigold and dianthus motifs on the decorative ceramic tiles he designed for the facade of Casa Vicens, which constitute some...

Framed ceramic by Roger Capron, circa 1960. Framed and illuminated ceramic by Roger Capron, circa 1960. With frame: H: 49cm, W: 49cm, D: 4cm Ceramic: H: 40cm, W: 40cm

Nice 20th century French tapestry, in style of Aubusson tapestries, with a design of a medieval museum tapestry called « La Danse » ( The Danse) and beautiful colors, hand printed on...

Georges Ferrato « Aspettando la Primavera » March 2011, Cherasco - Italie Acrylic and concrete on Canvas 114 x 146 cm

This 17th century Italian Baroque painting, executed in oil on copper, depicts the Crucifixion of Christ with remarkable depth and dramatic composition. Christ is shown on the cross...

Antique Vanity Fair Print 'Bill' R.H. Forster, Rowing Coach by ELF – 1910 This is a vintage Vanity Fair lithograph titled "Bill," featuring Rob...

J. Paramé is considered one of the most talented and promising Portuguese artists of his generation. Born in Lisbon in 1978, he studied at the National Society of Fine Arts in Lisbon...

Leaf collage entitled “Highway through the forest” by Hilton McConnico for Tennessee paris circa 1990 Signed and stamped on the work and on the back. In very good condition. "A ...

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...

Two images on one sheet. The first image shows the festivities of Canadian people while the deceased is carried to a Cabin. The second image shows a funeral procession. This print...

Hand-Colored Dutch Map of Ancient Israel Divided by the Twelve Tribes – After Ezekiel, c.1730 This beautifully hand-colored antique map is titled "Ontwerp en Erfdeeling van’t Land K...

Mounted Knight in Tournament Armor with Lance, circa 1400 This vibrant costume plate, No. 90 from the 1845 publication Costumes Historiques des XIIIe, XIVe et XVe Siècles, offers a ...

An early Louis XV green stained horn and gilt bronze-mounted bracket clock, the clock second quarter of 18th century, the dial inscribed 'Causard Her du Roy a l...

Art Deco brass wardrobe around 1920s Brass polished and stove enameled

A simple and superb ink or watercolor, in the style of a fashion drawing or portrait, Art Deco, Modernist, Belle Époque, or Roaring Twenties, on paper in its simple wooden frame, an ...

Piet Mondrian: "Composition C n°III in Red, Blue, and Yellow" Lithograph Enhance your collection with this iconic signed lithograph by Piet Mondrian, titled "Composition C n°III in...

Title: Historic View of Chemakane Mission with Indigenous and Mission Life Scene Description: This captivating lithograph of the Chemakane Mission offers a rare glimpse into the his...

Pencil and watercolour drawing on paper by Franz Windhager. Drawing by Franz Windhager, 1879-1959, voyage en Italie, femme assise dénudée, pencil and watercolour on framed paper. Dr...

Wall Rationalist Wooden Decoration. Manufactured in France, circa 1960. In original condition with minor wear consistent of age and use, preserving a beautiful patina. Mater...

Abstract green Serigraphy by Geneviève Claisse Signed by the artist in pencil and numbered 28/40 Stamp of the publisher circa 2014 Dimensions : 60 x 66 x 1 cm Price : 390 € ...

These are vibrant chromolithographs from "Favourite Flowers of Garden and Greenhouse" by Edward Step, illustrated by Désiré Bois and published in 1896 by Frederick Warne & Co., Londo...

FLOW is a fiber art tapestry made out of hundreds of knots, a technique also known as macrame. The design is an exploration of form and texture, examining the interplay between fluid...

Antonio Calza (Italy, Verona, 1653-18th April 1725) "Battle between Christian and Turkish cavalry with castle" The painting depicts a bloody battle between Christian and Turkish cavalry. Characterized by dynamism, intensity of color and light, the main scene occupies the lower horizontal section of the canvas, optically interrupted by the black fumes of the shots from which emerge, on the left, the towers of a fortress. On the right, in the distance you can see the combat in progress in the countryside, beyond which you can see the pale presence of hills that create a fifth, marking the horizon. To frame the scene contributes to the left, against light and in the foreground, a portion of the wall. The painter, however, introduces a horse on the ground, of which we see only the back, a ruse to involve the observer making him become active and participate in the scene. In the foreground, lifeless bodies, wounded horses and, scattered on the ground, weapons and a drum enhance the drama of the clash. The excitement and expressive force, the intense chromatic range attentive to the conditions of light and the fine brushstrokes, decisive and dramatic, suggests the attribution to Antonio Calza, one of the most important painters of battles of the seventeenth century, excellent student and continuator of the greatest interpreter of the genre, Jacques Courtois called il Borgognone (Saint-Hyppolite 1621 - Rome 1676). Il Borgognone, although not having had a real school or direct students, places itself as a primary reference point by the Italian and foreign "battaglisti". The genre of battle painting found great success in the collections of the Italian and European nobility of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The battles of the Italian Renaissance, in which the scene converged towards a precise protagonist, evolve towards a type of combat "without hero". The bloody realism of the details and the dynamic development of the narrative confuse the figure of the protagonist, when present, to give importance to the swirl of horses and armed fighters, among which, moreover, does not emerge a winner. The certain documents relating to the life and movements of Antonio Calza are scarce; it was equally difficult to reconstruct, from the critics, a catalogue of autograph works. Through paintings in private collections, in museums and paintings passed on the antiques market it has been possible to identify a copious corpus of works that can be traced back to his hand. The work of art historians, together with that of antique dealers, in conferring proper attributions in order to best outline the figure of Calza, continues but studies are still in progress. In this sense, the work of Giancarlo Sestieri should certainly be noted, who investigated the artistic production of the battaglisti and Calza, thus allowing the comparison of the numerous photographic works reported, to identify and recognize the stylistic qualities that distinguish the corpus of paintings assigned to him today. Antonio Calza was born in 1653 in Italy, in Verona and in 1664 he entered the school of Carlo Cignani in Bologna, dedicating himself to painting battles and landscapes. He then perfected in Rome, where he knew the works of the then undisputed head of the sector, Jacques Courtois called the Burgundian. In 1675 he returned to Verona and married an 88-year-old widow who, dying, left him a rich inheritance. Much appreciated by the nobility and the bourgeoisie, he received numerous commissions. Bartolomeo Dal Pozzo (Le Vite de' pittori, de gli scultori et architetti veronesi, 1718) praises "three great paintings of battles...

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