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Item Ships From: Madrid
Exceptional Flemish Tapestry from the, 17th Century
Exceptional Flemish Tapestry from the, 17th Century

Exceptional Flemish Tapestry from the, 17th Century

Located in Madrid, ES

Exceptional flemish tapestry from the 17th century. Tapestry from Flanders called "Ténière" in wool and silk depicting 4 maidens picking flowers in a green landscape With a fountai...

Category

17th Century Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Wool, Silk

Amazing Florentine Painter, 17th century "THE ANNUNCIATION"
Amazing Florentine Painter, 17th century "THE ANNUNCIATION"

Amazing Florentine Painter, 17th century "THE ANNUNCIATION"

Located in Madrid, ES

* Florentine painter, 17th century "THE ANNUNCIATION" Oil on canvas, 69cm x 100.5cm Good condition This painting depicts the biblical moment of the Annunciation, where the angel Gabr...

Category

17th Century Italian Baroque Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Paint

"Thousand-faced" fan in a fan case.
"Thousand-faced" fan in a fan case.

"Thousand-faced" fan in a fan case.

Located in Madrid, ES

"Thousand-faced" fan in a fan case. Paper, lacquered wood, wood and glass… Canton, China, late Qing dynasty (1644-1912) and later. It has faults and damages. A fan case containing ...

Category

19th Century Other Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Other

Portrait of Queen Marie Leszczynska, Wife of Louis XV, oil on canvas, 18th centu
Portrait of Queen Marie Leszczynska, Wife of Louis XV, oil on canvas, 18th centu

Portrait of Queen Marie Leszczynska, Wife of Louis XV, oil on canvas, 18th centu

By France"

Located in Madrid, ES

Portrait of Queen Marie Leszczynska, Wife of Louis XV, oil on canvas, 18th century Oil on canvas depicting Marie Leszczynska, Queen of France and wife of Louis XV, dressed in a luxu...

Category

18th Century French Baroque Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Paint

Rare Portrait of Elizabeth Petrovna of Russia (1709-1762) 18th Century Sign
Rare Portrait of Elizabeth Petrovna of Russia (1709-1762) 18th Century Sign

Rare Portrait of Elizabeth Petrovna of Russia (1709-1762) 18th Century Sign

By Midcentury Italian school

Located in Madrid, ES

Rare Portrait of Elizabeth Petrovna of Russia (1709-1762) 18th Century Signature Signed by court painter Magnificent oil on canvas depicting Empress Elizabeth Petrovna (1709-1762),...

Category

18th Century Italian Baroque Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Paint

Portrait of a Noble Lady, Spanish or Flemish School, oil on canvas, 17th century
Portrait of a Noble Lady, Spanish or Flemish School, oil on canvas, 17th century

Portrait of a Noble Lady, Spanish or Flemish School, oil on canvas, 17th century

By Central School of Arts & Crafts

Located in Madrid, ES

Portrait of a Noble Lady, Spanish or Flemish School, oil on canvas, 17th century Oil on canvas depicting a high-ranking lady, dressed in rich jewels and lace typical of 17th-century...

Category

17th Century Spanish Baroque Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Paint

Mid Century Modern Style Large French Wall Mounted Round Convex Silver Mirror
Mid Century Modern Style Large French Wall Mounted Round Convex Silver Mirror

Mid Century Modern Style Large French Wall Mounted Round Convex Silver Mirror

Located in Madrid, ES

Large circular wall-mounted convex mirror featuring a beautifully patinated and textured metal frame. Its distinctive convex shape offers a dynamic, panoramic reflection that enhance...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Mid-Century Modern Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Metal

Pair of panels, Dancers. Molded alabaster. 20th century, after CANOVA, Ant
Pair of panels, Dancers. Molded alabaster. 20th century, after CANOVA, Ant

Pair of panels, Dancers. Molded alabaster. 20th century, after CANOVA, Ant

Located in Madrid, ES

Pair of panels, Dancers. Molded alabaster. 20th century, inspired by CANOVA, Antonio (1757-1822). Pair of reliefs with frames made of alabaster molded with polychrome, inspired by t...

Category

20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Revival Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Other

Angelo Caroselli [attributed to], Saint Sebastian and Saint Irene. 1615-1652
Angelo Caroselli [attributed to], Saint Sebastian and Saint Irene. 1615-1652

Angelo Caroselli [attributed to], Saint Sebastian and Saint Irene. 1615-1652

Located in Madrid, ES

Angelo Caroselli [attributed to], Saint Sebastian and Saint Irene. 1615-1652 Oil on canvas. 36.5 x 30.5 cm, with frame 45 x 38.3 cm Replica of the oil painting of the same subject ...

Category

17th Century Italian Baroque Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Paint

"Triumph of Bacchus and Ariadne". 20th century, after Annibale Carracci
"Triumph of Bacchus and Ariadne". 20th century, after Annibale Carracci

"Triumph of Bacchus and Ariadne". 20th century, after Annibale Carracci

Located in Madrid, ES

"Triumph of Bacchus and Ariadne" after Annibale Carracci's model. Modeled alabaster The classical deities Bacchus and Ariadne have been represented in a chariot, accompanied by a pr...

Category

20th Century European Other Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Resin

Portrait of Isabella Farnese, Queen Consort of Spain, 18th Century
Portrait of Isabella Farnese, Queen Consort of Spain, 18th Century

Portrait of Isabella Farnese, Queen Consort of Spain, 18th Century

By Central School of Arts & Crafts

Located in Madrid, ES

Portrait of Isabella Farnese, Queen Consort of Spain, 18th Century Oil on oval canvas depicting Isabella Farnese (1692–1766), queen consort of Spain by her marriage to Philip V. The...

Category

18th Century Spanish Baroque Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Paint

Relief, “Ballerinas”. Modeled alabaster. 20th century, after CANOVA
Relief, “Ballerinas”. Modeled alabaster. 20th century, after CANOVA

Relief, “Ballerinas”. Modeled alabaster. 20th century, after CANOVA

Located in Madrid, ES

Relief, “Ballerinas”. Modeled alabaster. 20th century, following the CANOVA model, Antonio Relief made of modeled alabaster with polychrome, enhanced with a somewhat modern frame th...

Category

20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Revival Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Other

Guillam Forchondt & Ferdinand van Kessel, "El Rapto de Europa", siglo XVII
Guillam Forchondt & Ferdinand van Kessel, "El Rapto de Europa", siglo XVII

Guillam Forchondt & Ferdinand van Kessel, "El Rapto de Europa", siglo XVII

Located in MADRID, ES

Guillam Forchondt "El viejo" (Amberes, 1608-1678) & Ferdinand van Kessel (1648-1696) "El rapto de Europa" Óleo sobre cobre Se adjunta estudio realizado por la galería Soraya Cartate...

Category

17th Century Belgian Baroque Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Copper

Important Italian School 17th Century "The Healing of Tobias".
Important Italian School 17th Century "The Healing of Tobias".

Important Italian School 17th Century "The Healing of Tobias".

Located in Madrid, ES

Italian school; second third of the 17th century. "The Healing of Tobias". Oil on canvas. Relined. very good condition Dimensions: 117.5 x 107 cm; 130 x 118 cm (frame). This canvas ...

Category

Early 17th Century Italian Baroque Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Paint

Italian School 17th century "Christ in the Temple"
Italian School 17th century "Christ in the Temple"

Italian School 17th century "Christ in the Temple"

Located in Madrid, ES

Italian School 17th century "Christ in the Temple" Oil/canvas/double, 106 x 118 cm. good condition

Category

Early 17th Century Italian Baroque Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Paint

Saints John and Matthew, Polychrome Wood, Possibly, Burgos School, 16th Century
Saints John and Matthew, Polychrome Wood, Possibly, Burgos School, 16th Century

Saints John and Matthew, Polychrome Wood, Possibly, Burgos School, 16th Century

Located in Madrid, ES

Pair of reliefs, San Juan and San Mateo. Polychrome wood. Possibly, Burgos school, 16th century. Pair of carved and polychrome wood reliefs that each show a seated human figure wri...

Category

16th Century Spanish Renaissance Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Other

European School, 18th Century " German Princess "
European School, 18th Century " German Princess "

European School, 18th Century " German Princess "

By Central School of Arts & Crafts

Located in Madrid, ES

Portrait of a German Princess with a Sash and Insignia of a Knightly Order European School, 18th Century " German Princess " Large-format oil on canvas depicting a German princess,...

Category

18th Century Polish Baroque Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Paint

Stunning Masterpiece: "Adoration of the Magi" - A Rare Gem on Cotognino Alabaste
Stunning Masterpiece: "Adoration of the Magi" - A Rare Gem on Cotognino Alabaste

Stunning Masterpiece: "Adoration of the Magi" - A Rare Gem on Cotognino Alabaste

Located in Madrid, ES

Elevate your collection with this breathtaking oil painting, "Adoration of the Magi," skillfully rendered on a magnificent 51x40 cm Cotognino Alabaster panel. This extraordinary piec...

Category

16th Century Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Onyx

Amazing Flemish Master  17th Century "Saint Jerome"
Amazing Flemish Master  17th Century "Saint Jerome"

Amazing Flemish Master 17th Century "Saint Jerome"

Located in Madrid, ES

Amazing Flemish Master 17th Century "Saint Jerome" Oil/canvas/double, 82 x 64 cm. good condition

Category

Early 17th Century Dutch Baroque Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Paint

Venus and Mercury, relief. Molded alabaster. 20th century, after Spranger
Venus and Mercury, relief. Molded alabaster. 20th century, after Spranger

Venus and Mercury, relief. Molded alabaster. 20th century, after Spranger

Located in Madrid, ES

Venus and Mercury, relief. Molded alabaster. 20th century, Inspired by the model of SPRANGER, Bartholomäus (1546-1611). Panel with figurative relief and a fine frame around it made ...

Category

20th Century Spanish Renaissance Revival Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Other

Attribution to Francesco Solimena "Resurrection of Christ" 18th Century
Attribution to Francesco Solimena "Resurrection of Christ" 18th Century

Attribution to Francesco Solimena "Resurrection of Christ" 18th Century

By Francesco Solimena

Located in Madrid, ES

Attribution to Francesco Solimena "Resurrection of Christ" 18th Century oil on canvas (129x77 cm.) framed good condition for the period Francesco Solimena, also called l'Abate C...

Category

Early 18th Century Italian Baroque Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Paint

The Lady and the Unicorn. Tapestry. 20th century, following medieval models.
The Lady and the Unicorn. Tapestry. 20th century, following medieval models.

The Lady and the Unicorn. Tapestry. 20th century, following medieval models.

Located in Madrid, ES

The Lady and the Unicorn. Tapestry. 20th century, following medieval models. Tapestry inspired by one of the series currently known as “The Lady and the Unicorn”, made up of six wor...

Category

20th Century European Other Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Other

SPANISH SCHOOL 19th Century Title: "Dwarf with a Dog" Copy of Diego Velázquez.
SPANISH SCHOOL 19th Century Title: "Dwarf with a Dog" Copy of Diego Velázquez.

SPANISH SCHOOL 19th Century Title: "Dwarf with a Dog" Copy of Diego Velázquez.

Located in Madrid, ES

SPANISH SCHOOL 19th Century Title: "Dwarf with a Dog" Copy of Diego Velázquez. Technique: Oil on canvas. Dimensions: 142 x 107.5 cm. With frame. Provenance: Private collection, Ge...

Category

19th Century Spanish Baroque Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Paint

Religious Oil on Canvas – European School, 18th Century
Religious Oil on Canvas – European School, 18th Century

Religious Oil on Canvas – European School, 18th Century

Located in Madrid, ES

Religious Oil on Canvas – European School, 18th Century Dimensions: 50 x 45 cm (frame), 34 x 29 cm (view): San Carlos Borromeo, Archbishop of Milan (1538-1584) A serene and contempl...

Category

18th Century European Baroque Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Canvas

Pair of 19th Century French School Oil Paintings on Panel
Pair of 19th Century French School Oil Paintings on Panel

Pair of 19th Century French School Oil Paintings on Panel

Located in Madrid, ES

Decorative pair of oil paintings on panel from the early 19th century, attributed to the French School. Each painting is presented in its original giltwood frame, finely carved and r...

Category

1830s Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Fruitwood

19th Century Orthodox Icon - Saint John Christening Jesus
19th Century Orthodox Icon - Saint John Christening Jesus

19th Century Orthodox Icon - Saint John Christening Jesus

Located in Madrid, ES

Presenting a magnificent 19th-century Orthodox icon depicting Saint John Christening Jesus. This piece is painted in tempera on a wooden panel, exemplifying traditional religious art...

Category

1850s Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Wood

IMPORTANT TRIPTIC FLORENTINE SCHOOL (Italy) 16th Century
IMPORTANT TRIPTIC FLORENTINE SCHOOL (Italy) 16th Century

IMPORTANT TRIPTIC FLORENTINE SCHOOL (Italy) 16th Century

Located in Madrid, ES

IMPORTANT TRIPTIC FLORENTINE SCHOOL (Italy) 16th Century Oil on wood, representing the Eternal Father, Our Lady with Baby Jesus, Saint Bernadino of Siena, San León, Saint Stephen an...

Category

16th Century Italian Gothic Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Paint

European School Oil on Panel of the 18th Century
European School Oil on Panel of the 18th Century

European School Oil on Panel of the 18th Century

Located in Madrid, ES

European School oil on panel of the 18th century Measures: 34X24CM Good condition.

Category

18th Century German Baroque Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Paint

19th Century Pair of Engravings of "Description of Egypt"
19th Century Pair of Engravings of "Description of Egypt"

19th Century Pair of Engravings of "Description of Egypt"

Located in Madrid, ES

Two engravings from the book "The Description of Egypt", a major publication by the scholars who accompanied Napoleon, which included descriptions and engravings made by these schola...

Category

Early 19th Century French Empire Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Wood, Paper

Contemporary Geometric Artisian Raw Cotton South American Sculpture/Tapestry
Contemporary Geometric Artisian Raw Cotton South American Sculpture/Tapestry

Contemporary Geometric Artisian Raw Cotton South American Sculpture/Tapestry

Located in Ibiza, Spain

This large format wall-hanging sculpture is handmade from 100% raw agave cotton thread, featuring naturally dyed thread details in various shades. It offers a contemporary reinterpre...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary South American Modern Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Cotton

Ameyaltepec, Guerrero. Tempera on paper. Venancio,  Eugenio. Mexico, 20th c
Ameyaltepec, Guerrero. Tempera on paper. Venancio,  Eugenio. Mexico, 20th c

Ameyaltepec, Guerrero. Tempera on paper. Venancio, Eugenio. Mexico, 20th c

Located in Madrid, ES

Ameyaltepec, Guerrero. Tempera on paper. Venancio, Eugenio. Mexico, 20th century. Naïve rural landscape titled in the lower right and signed in the lower left, with people, building...

Category

20th Century Mexican Other Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

English School 17th Century "Portrait of George Villiers Duke of Buckingham"
English School 17th Century "Portrait of George Villiers Duke of Buckingham"

English School 17th Century "Portrait of George Villiers Duke of Buckingham"

Located in Madrid, ES

English School 17th Century "Portrait of George Villiers Duke of Buckingham" Oil on canvas 66X53 cm size without frame George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham (Brooksby, 28 August 1...

Category

17th Century English Baroque Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Paint

Rare Portrait of Maria Theresa of Austria, Queen Consort of France, 17th Century
Rare Portrait of Maria Theresa of Austria, Queen Consort of France, 17th Century

Rare Portrait of Maria Theresa of Austria, Queen Consort of France, 17th Century

By France"

Located in Madrid, ES

Portrait of Maria Theresa of Austria, Queen Consort of France, 17th Century Oil on canvas, European School, ca. 1660–1680, late 17th century Oil on canvas depicting Maria Theresa of...

Category

17th Century Spanish Baroque Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Paint

Important English School " LADY HAMILTON " 18th Century Sign
Important English School " LADY HAMILTON " 18th Century Sign

Important English School " LADY HAMILTON " 18th Century Sign

Located in Madrid, ES

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

Category

18th Century English Baroque Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Paint

ITALIAN SCHOOL "TOBIAS AND THE ARCHANGEL RAFAEL" 18th Century
ITALIAN SCHOOL "TOBIAS AND THE ARCHANGEL RAFAEL" 18th Century

ITALIAN SCHOOL "TOBIAS AND THE ARCHANGEL RAFAEL" 18th Century

Located in Madrid, ES

ITALIAN SCHOOL "TOBIAS AND THE ARCHANGEL RAFAEL" 18TH CENTURY Oil on canvas made in the 18th century, It represents the moment in which the archangel Raphael instructs a young Tobit...

Category

Early 18th Century Italian Baroque Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Paint

17th Century Portuguese Tile Panel
17th Century Portuguese Tile Panel

17th Century Portuguese Tile Panel

Located in Madrid, ES

Largest collection of Portuguese tiles in the world 17th Century Portuguese Tile Panel. Restored 56cm x 56cm 14cm x 14cm tiles With certificate of authenticity and export issued by ...

Category

17th Century Portuguese Baroque Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Porcelain

Archangel with an arquebusier, Andean Viceregal School, 18th Century
Archangel with an arquebusier, Andean Viceregal School, 18th Century

Archangel with an arquebusier, Andean Viceregal School, 18th Century

Located in Madrid, ES

Archangel with an arquebusier, Andean Viceregal School, 18th Century Oil on canvas depicting an archangel with an arquebusier, a characteristic figure of viceregal painting in the A...

Category

18th Century Spanish Spanish Colonial Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Paint

Set of 6 Paintings Attributed to the Cusco School, 18th–19th Centuries
Set of 6 Paintings Attributed to the Cusco School, 18th–19th Centuries

Set of 6 Paintings Attributed to the Cusco School, 18th–19th Centuries

By Central School of Arts & Crafts

Located in Madrid, ES

Set of 6 paintings attributed to the Cusco School, 18th–19th centuries Series of five small-format oil paintings on canvas, attributed to the Cusco School, 18th–19th centuries. They...

Category

19th Century Spanish Baroque Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Paint

Amazing Bartolomeo Ligozzi, 1630-1695 "Still Life" 17th Century
Amazing Bartolomeo Ligozzi, 1630-1695 "Still Life" 17th Century

Amazing Bartolomeo Ligozzi, 1630-1695 "Still Life" 17th Century

By Central School of Arts & Crafts

Located in Madrid, ES

Bartolomeo Ligozzi, 1630-1695 Still life, flowers in a vase with putti in relief, oil/litho/wood, restored approx. 66x52cm, frame: 73cm x 59cm good conditions Bartolommeo Ligozzi wa...

Category

17th Century Italian Baroque Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Paint

Pair of 18th Century Italian Mythological Oil Paintings in Carved Giltwood Frame
Pair of 18th Century Italian Mythological Oil Paintings in Carved Giltwood Frame

Pair of 18th Century Italian Mythological Oil Paintings in Carved Giltwood Frame

Located in Madrid, ES

Important and highly decorative pair of Italian oil on canvas paintings, dating from the 18th century, each depicting a richly symbolic mythological and allegorical scene in the gran...

Category

1730s Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Fruitwood

GÓMEZ GIMENO, Antonio (Spain, late 19th – early 20th century). "Still life".
GÓMEZ GIMENO, Antonio (Spain, late 19th – early 20th century). "Still life".

GÓMEZ GIMENO, Antonio (Spain, late 19th – early 20th century). "Still life".

Located in Madrid, ES

GÓMEZ GIMENO, Antonio (Spain, late 19th - early 20th century). "Still life". Oil on canvas or tablex. Signed in the lower left corner. Measurements: 38 x 45.5 cm; 47 x 55.5 cm (fr...

Category

20th Century Spanish Other Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Other

Pareja de paneles renacentistas en madera dorada y policromada, siglo XVI
Pareja de paneles renacentistas en madera dorada y policromada, siglo XVI

Pareja de paneles renacentistas en madera dorada y policromada, siglo XVI

Located in MADRID, ES

Espectacular pareja de tallas monumentales renacentistas, de madera del siglo XVI, c. 1550-1580. Representan la cumbre del Renacimiento español. Con una altura y escala imponentes, ...

Category

16th Century Spanish Renaissance Revival Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Giltwood, Softwood, Wood

"The reaper", Ignacio Diaz Olano, Spain, 1890.
"The reaper", Ignacio Diaz Olano, Spain, 1890.

"The reaper", Ignacio Diaz Olano, Spain, 1890.

By Ignacio Díaz Olano

Located in Madrid, ES

Oil on canvas, "The reaper", Ignacio Diaz Olano, 1890. Signed and dated in the lower right corner. Ignacio Salvador Díaz Ruiz de Olano (Vitoria, 1860- 1937)...

Category

1890s Spanish Modern Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Paint

Tapestry   Royal Manufacture of Aubusson, Louis XVI period 1738 at the Gobelins
Tapestry   Royal Manufacture of Aubusson, Louis XVI period 1738 at the Gobelins

Tapestry Royal Manufacture of Aubusson, Louis XVI period 1738 at the Gobelins

By Aubusson Manufacture

Located in Madrid, ES

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...

Category

Early 18th Century French Baroque Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Wool, Silk

Four framed prints, ornithology. 20th century.
Four framed prints, ornithology. 20th century.

Four framed prints, ornithology. 20th century.

Located in Madrid, ES

Four framed prints, ornithology. Twentieth century. Lot of four colored engravings with birds: a pair of common terns or black terns and another of...

Category

20th Century European Other Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Other

19th Century Oil on Canvas with Classical Greek Bacchanal Scene
19th Century Oil on Canvas with Classical Greek Bacchanal Scene

19th Century Oil on Canvas with Classical Greek Bacchanal Scene

Located in Madrid, ES

Decorative oil on canvas depicting a Bacchanal scene from Classical Greece, finely executed in the 19th century. The composition captures the vitality and movement characteristic of ...

Category

1870s Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Fruitwood

Announcement Italian School Oil on Canvas, of the 17th Century
Announcement Italian School Oil on Canvas, of the 17th Century

Announcement Italian School Oil on Canvas, of the 17th Century

Located in Madrid, ES

Announcement Italian School Oil on canvas, of the 17th century Dimension: 75 x 62 cm. Good conditions.

Category

17th Century French Baroque Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Paint

Contemporary Sculptural Pink Glass French Concave Mirror
Contemporary Sculptural Pink Glass French Concave Mirror

Contemporary Sculptural Pink Glass French Concave Mirror

Located in Ibiza, Spain

Handcrafted in France, this modern sculptural concave mirror is a stunning wall hanging artwork made from pink molded glass adorned with colored lenses...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Art Glass

19th Century Orthodox Icon :Consolation if the al lAfflicted
19th Century Orthodox Icon :Consolation if the al lAfflicted

19th Century Orthodox Icon :Consolation if the al lAfflicted

Located in Madrid, ES

Presenting a magnificent 19th-century Orthodox icon:Consolation if the al lAfflicted . This piece is painted in tempera on a wooden panel, exemplifying traditional religious artistry...

Category

19th Century Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Wood

17th Century Portuguese Tile Panel
17th Century Portuguese Tile Panel

17th Century Portuguese Tile Panel

Located in Madrid, ES

Largest collection of Portuguese tiles in the world 17th Century Portuguese Tile Panel Restored 56cm x 56cm 14cm x 14cm tiles With certificate of authenticity and export issued by ...

Category

17th Century Portuguese Baroque Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Porcelain

Goya Oil on Canvas from 18th Century
Goya Oil on Canvas from 18th Century

Goya Oil on Canvas from 18th Century

By Francisco De Goya

Located in Madrid, ES

Goya oil on canvas from xviii century The canvas is relined. It is from the same time that Goya made the cartons. The painting measures: 135 x 101 cm without frame. The dutch frame measures: 172 x 140 cm -The blind chicken (1789) is one of the cartoons that served as a model for the manufactures of the Royal Tapestry Factory of Santa Bárbara by Francisco de Goya...

Category

18th Century Spanish Baroque Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Paint

Cockatoo. Framed watercolour. 20th century.
Cockatoo. Framed watercolour. 20th century.

Cockatoo. Framed watercolour. 20th century.

Located in Madrid, ES

Cockatoo. Framed watercolour. 20th century. Watercolour showing a cockatoo (possibly sulphurous) perched on a stone bench and picking a cherry with ...

Category

20th Century European Other Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Other

Large Decorative Terracotta Shield with Lion Head, 1970s
Large Decorative Terracotta Shield with Lion Head, 1970s

Large Decorative Terracotta Shield with Lion Head, 1970s

Located in Madrid, ES

Striking decorative terracotta shield dating from the 1970s, featuring a bold central lion’s head in relief. Rich in character and sculptural presence, the piece draws inspiration fr...

Category

1970s Vintage Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Terracotta

Hand Painted Wallpaper "Sakura", Set of Three - Made in Spain
Hand Painted Wallpaper "Sakura", Set of Three - Made in Spain

Hand Painted Wallpaper "Sakura", Set of Three - Made in Spain

By Buenaventura

Located in Madrid, ES

A work consisting of three panels representing a plum blossom, to achieve this delicate effect the sumi-e technique has been used. The work has been entirely hand painted on 100% nat...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Hollywood Regency Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Cotton, Acrylic, Paper

Abraham Bosschaert (1612-1643), "Florero", óleo sobre tabla, siglo XVII
Abraham Bosschaert (1612-1643), "Florero", óleo sobre tabla, siglo XVII

Abraham Bosschaert (1612-1643), "Florero", óleo sobre tabla, siglo XVII

Located in MADRID, ES

ABRAHAM BOSSCHAERT (Middelburg, 1612 o 1613 - Utrecht, 1643) “Jarrón de flores y conchas” Óleo sobre tabla Se adjunta estudio emitido por la galería Soraya Cartategui Firmado en la e...

Category

17th Century Dutch Baroque Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Wood

Portrait of Charles of Bourbon as King of Naples.
Portrait of Charles of Bourbon as King of Naples.

Portrait of Charles of Bourbon as King of Naples.

Located in Madrid, ES

Circle of Giuseppe Bonito (Castellammare di Stabia, 1707 – Naples, 1789). “Portrait of Charles of Bourbon as King of Naples.” Oil on canvas. Relined. Has a 19th-century frame. Dim...

Category

1780s Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Fruitwood

Important Gilded Silver Orthodox Cross from the 18th Century - Dimensions 200x13
Important Gilded Silver Orthodox Cross from the 18th Century - Dimensions 200x13

Important Gilded Silver Orthodox Cross from the 18th Century - Dimensions 200x13

Located in Madrid, ES

Discover a unique and exceptional piece of religious art with this impressive gilded silver Orthodox cross, dated 1750. An object of devotion and sacred art that carries a rich histo...

Category

Mid-18th Century Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Sterling Silver

19th Century Orthodox Icon
19th Century Orthodox Icon

19th Century Orthodox Icon

Located in Madrid, ES

Presenting a magnificent 19th-century Orthodox icon:The Pantocrator. This piece is painted in tempera on a wooden panel, exemplifying traditional religious artistry from this era. ...

Category

1860s Antique Madrid - Wall Decorations

Materials

Wood

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