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Sale Items
Oil on Canvas Painting in the style of Takashi Murakami
By Takashi Murakami
Located in Denton, TX
Oil on canvas in the style of Takashi Murakami . Very colorful pop art that can brighten any room. It is signed on the back please see pictures
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Paint

"An Allegory of Love" 19th C. Oil on Canvas After Titian - Tiziano Vecellio
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A Large and Impressive 19th Century Continental Oil on Canvas "An Allegory of Love" after the original work by Titian - Tiziano Vecellio (Italian 1488-1576), within an ornate gilt-wo...
Category

Antique 19th Century Italian Baroque Paintings

Materials

Canvas

IMPORTANT TRIPTIC FLORENTINE SCHOOL (Italy) 16th Century
By Europa Antiques
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

Antique 16th Century Italian Gothic Paintings

Materials

Paint

Morphos Butterflies Glass Box Frame
By Olivier Violo
Located in Paris, FR
Frame Ulysse Morphos glass box wall decoration with real Ulysse butterflies from bredding farms in Peru. Under box frame in clear glass. Exceptional and unique piece made in Fr...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Peruvian Decorative Art

Materials

Glass

Antique Map of the Region of Tokyo and Nagasaki in Japan, 1922
Located in Langweer, NL
Antique map of Japan titled 'Japan - Environs of Tokio & Nagasaki'. Old map of Japan, includes inset maps of Tokyo, Nagasaki and surroundings. This map or...
Category

20th Century Maps

Materials

Paper

Antique French Tapestry Verdure Deer 3x6 Wool Foundation 92 x 172cm
Located in New York, NY
Antique French Tapestry Verdure Deer 3x6 3' x 5'8" 92cm x 172cm k65101 About Us~ Welcome to Antique Rug Collection. Your #1 Source for handmade Antique Rugs & Tapestries at g...
Category

Vintage 1920s French Baroque Tapestries

Materials

Wool

Antique Framed Roman-Greco Mixed Media Collage of Paper & Woven Grasses 19th C
Located in Big Flats, NY
Antique collage offers Roman Greco scene in mixed media including paper and woven grasses depicting countryside scene with soldiers and chariot, framed, 19...
Category

Antique 19th Century Decorative Art

Materials

Grasscloth, Paper

Mid Century Brutalist Nail Wall Art
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Prime example of Brutalist nail wall art. This is a multi layered mixed media piece made of iron and brass with gold leaf accents. The oxidized metal nails a...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Brutalist Decorative Art

Materials

Brass, Iron

Sculptural Lava Glass with an 18th Century Italian Fragment and Metal Crown Base
By Interi
Located in Dublin, Dalkey
18th century Italian gilded base with a polished green lava glass point and adorned with green mother of pearl with gold highlights and mounted on an antique metal crown base. The g...
Category

Antique 18th Century Italian Rococo Decorative Art

Materials

Lava, Metal, Gold Leaf

Late 17th Century Italian Heraldic Coat of Arms Tapestry, Lucca, circa 1690
Located in Encinitas, CA
Aristocratic style is presented by this tapestry; a heraldic coat of arms formed by woolen cloth of different colors applied in collage on blue woolen cloth. Lucchese (Lucca) manufac...
Category

Antique Late 17th Century Italian Baroque Tapestries

Materials

Wool, Linen

1920 Antique French Aubusson Tapestry Rug Floral Vase Runner 3x10 1880 97x287cm
Located in New York, NY
1920 Antique French Aubusson Tapestry Rug Floral Vase Runner 3x10 c.1880 3'2" x 9'5" 97cm x 287cm A magnificent antique French tapestry depict...
Category

Vintage 1920s French Baroque Tapestries

Materials

Wool

Very fine Chinese Behind Glass Painting Lady with child in House, 20th Century
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Very nicely and detailed painting painting with a scene of a woman and a child in a house. Additional information: Material: Porcelain & Pottery Type: Paintings, Scrolls & Prints Re...
Category

20th Century Chinese Paintings

Materials

Porcelain

Bullfighter Costume for Children from the 20th Century - A Gem of Children's Bul
Located in Madrid, ES
Bullfighter Costume for Children from the 20th Century - A Gem of Children's Bullfighting Immerse yourself in the rich tradition of bullfighting with this fascinating bullfighter c...
Category

Early 20th Century Decorative Art

Materials

Silk

Bird Print of a Malay Scrubfowl, Black-rumped Buttonquail and the Elegant Trogon
Located in Langweer, NL
The megapose huppe, Turnix a Bandeau Noir and the Eudrome Elegante The "Megapodius cristatus" refers to the Malay Scrubfowl, also known as the Crested Megapode or Tabon Scrubfowl. T...
Category

Antique 1840s Prints

Materials

Paper

Antique Chinese Rice Pit painting of a Boat Top Quality Canton, 19th Century
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Antique Chinese Rice Pit painting of a Boat Top Quality Canton, 19th Century. Fabulous painting. Additional information: Material: Porcelain & Pottery Type:...
Category

Antique 19th Century Chinese Paintings

Materials

Porcelain

Warhol African Queens Advertisements, 1985
By (after) Andy Warhol
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Vintage original advertisements for Warhol Queens at Leo Castelli gallery. Set of 3 circa 1985. Offset print on newspaper stock. Measures: 11 x 17 inches. Minor signs of handling; o...
Category

Vintage 1980s Posters

Materials

Paper

Pair of Large Sculptural Iron and Glass Wall Flush Mounts Sconces, 1960s
By Poliarte
Located in Berlin, DE
Beautiful and large pair of sculptural iron and textured Murano glass wall lights/sconces, 1960s Lamp sockets: 1x E27 (US E26).
Category

Mid-20th Century German Brutalist Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Iron

North American Painting Late 18th Century
Located in Madrid, ES
This significant oil painting on copper represents a notable example of the North American School in the late 18th century. The artwork captures the essence of the time, marked by cr...
Category

Antique Mid-18th Century Paintings

Materials

Copper

Chinese Painting Year of the Dog China, 20th Century
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
A very nice painting by dating to the mid 20th century. Additional information: Type: Paintings, Scrolls & Prints Region of Origin: China Country of Manufacturing: Japan Period: 20t...
Category

20th Century Chinese Paintings

Materials

Paint

Copper Engraving of The Dutch and Austrian Netherlands Handcolored, 1772
Located in Langweer, NL
This antique map, a rare hand-colored engraved piece by E.A. Philippe de Pretot, showcases intricate detailing and vibrant colors. The dimensions of the map measure approximately 33 ...
Category

Antique 1640s Prints

Materials

Paper

Vintage French Aubusson Tapestry Rug Art Nouveau Bold 9x9 Square 256cm x 285cm
Located in New York, NY
Vintage French Aubusson Tapestry Rug Art Nouveau Bold Square 9x9 8'5" x 9'4" 256cm x 285cm "A rare, magnificent vintage French Aubusson tapestry with unique Art Nouveau design, i...
Category

Vintage 1940s French Tapestries

Materials

Wool, Silk

Antique Turkish Oriental Framed Needlepoint Rug Fragment, 18thC
Located in Big Flats, NY
Antique Turkish Oriental Framed Needlepoint Rug Fragment 18thC Measures- 47.75''H x 18''W x .75''D; 15.25'' x 45'' sight
Category

Antique 18th Century Asian Decorative Art

Materials

Textile

Antique Chinese Rice Pit painting of a Boat Top Quality Canton, 19th Century
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Antique Chinese Rice Pit painting of a Boat Top Quality Canton, 19th Century. Fabulous painting. Additional information: Material: Porcelain & Pottery Type:...
Category

Antique 19th Century Chinese Qing Paintings

Materials

Porcelain

Sculptural 18th Century Italian Fragment with Phantom Quartz and Raw Agate
By Interi
Located in Dublin, Dalkey
Sculptural 18th century Italian gilded fragment artifact with phantom quartz and mounted on raw agate. The piece originally comes from a historical church ...
Category

Antique 18th Century Italian Rococo Decorative Art

Materials

Quartz, Agate, Rock Crystal, Metal, Gold Leaf

Antique Chinese Rice Pit painting of a Boat Top Quality Canton, 19th Century
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Antique Chinese Rice Pit painting of a Boat Top Quality Canton, 19th Century. Fabulous painting. Additional information: Material: Porcelain & Pottery Type:...
Category

Antique 19th Century Chinese Paintings

Materials

Porcelain

Italian 19th Century Arms Trophy: Exquisite Neoclassical Carved Wooden Masterpie
Located in Madrid, ES
Immerse yourself in the timeless elegance of 19th-century Italy with this stunning neoclassical arms trophy. Meticulously carved from high-quality wood, this striking masterpiece is ...
Category

Antique 19th Century Decorative Art

Materials

Wood

1960's Brigitte Bardot LUI Magazines (set of 2)
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A brilliant set of 2 vintage original 1960's LUI magazines, featuring standout Brigit Bardot covers. Offered here are the full magazines; intact; in good ...
Category

Vintage 1960s French Decorative Art

Materials

Paper

Rare Tunisian Ouedzem Embroidered Tissue or Carpet
Located in Alessandria, Piemonte
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 ...
Category

Vintage 1960s Tunisian Tribal Moroccan and North African Rugs

Materials

Wool

Antique French Aubusson Tapestry Rare Wool & Silk Renaissance 4x5 1890 132x155cm
Located in New York, NY
Antique French Aubusson Tapestry Rare Wool & Silk Renaissance c.1890 4'4" x 5'1" 132 cm x 155cm "This is an outstanding antique French Aubusson tapestry- This piece incorporates ...
Category

Antique 1890s French Tapestries

Materials

Wool

Large Scale " Butterflies " Oil Painting Signed R.Cooper, 1967
Located in Costa Mesa, CA
Large Scale " Butterflies " Oil Painting on Board Signed R.Cooper, 1967.
Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Wood, Paint

Mid 20th Century Tapestry Signed “DUPREZ”
By Jean-Claude Duprez
Located in Beirut, LB
Mid-Century Modern French wool tapestry by Jean Claude Duprez signed at the bottom right corner , "DUPREZ". This beautiful piece depicts birds and the Vaccarès pond located in Saint...
Category

Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Tapestries

Materials

Tapestry, Wool

17th Century Italian Architectural Fragment with Carnelian Pebbles and Raw Agate
By Interi
Located in Dublin, Dalkey
17th century Italian hand-painted ecclesiastical architectural element adorned with carnelian pebbles, gold-plated crystals, blue and yellow raw agate, and b...
Category

Antique 17th Century Italian Baroque Decorative Art

Materials

Rock Crystal, Quartz, Agate, Metal, Gold Leaf

Barbizon School Painting, Jules Dupré "Landscape by the River", Oil on Canvas
By Jules Dupré
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Rare, large and very beautiful oil painting by Jules Dupré (1811-1889), a French artist famous for his dramatic paintings of forests around Paris and one of the leaders of the Barbiz...
Category

Antique 19th Century French Barbizon School Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Wood

Original Pablo Picasso Etching from La Celestine, Bloch 1648
By Pablo Picasso
Located in Essen, NW
Pablo Picasso, original etching from Fernando de Rojas "La Celestine", Bloch 1648. Artist: Pablo Picasso Technique: Original etching Year of origin: 1968 Paper: On light cham...
Category

Vintage 1970s German Modern Prints

Materials

Paper

Large Mixed Media Oil on Canvas by Arnolkis Turro
Located in Denton, TX
Arnolkis Turro studied at the Vocational School of Art ‘’Regino Eladio Boti’’ in Guantánamo as well as the National School of Art in Havana, Cuba. He also took up Las Positas College Art Residency in Livermore CA, USA and The Vermont Studio Center in Vermont, USA and was recently selected for an Art Residency at the University of Udaipur-Rajasthan, India. Turro belongs to the fertile generation of Cuban Contemporary Art, which includes names such as Yoan Capote...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Organic Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas, Paint

"Bouquet in Amphora Vase" - One of a kind wall art plate
By Studio DeSimoneWayland
Located in AMSTERDAM, NH
"Bouquet in Amphora Vase" is a hand made platter with the painting of a colourful bouquet of flowers in a globular vase. This work is inspired by our love for the Omega Workshop an...
Category

2010s Dutch Other Contemporary Art

Materials

Ceramic, Paint

Ottoman Silk Sultan's Pomegranate Tree Hand Embroidered Suzani Tapestry
Located in London, GB
Journey into the heart of the Ottoman Empire's artistic legacy with our exquisite Suzani hand embroidery items. Each piece is a living canvas of tradition, meticulously crafted by sk...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Tapestries

Materials

Cotton, Silk

Signed Italian Oil Painting of Coastal City Scene With Boats Mid 20th Century
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Charming oil on canvas painting of an Italian coastal city scene with sail boats, signed, circa 1950's. A very lifelike rendering of an Italian coastline. This 20th Century oil pa...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Wood

Nihonga Japanese Painting 1900 Meiji Scroll Kawai Gyokudo Nanga School Lake Scen
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
This painting by Gyokudo Kawa is named "Lakeside Night Return", portraying a serene journey home. Gyokudo Kawai (1873-1957) A Japanese painter from the Meiji to Showa periods, born ...
Category

Antique 19th Century Meiji Paintings

Materials

Silk

Antique Japanese 18th c Edo Scroll [Kano Baisho Nihonga Landscape Painting
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
This is a ``Rising Sun and Pine Tree'' drawn by Kano Baisho. It is an item with a solemn taste and presence, and I think it would be a good idea to display it at New Year's, the fir...
Category

Antique 18th Century Edo Paintings

Materials

Silk

Concerto II Signed Abstract Print by Trans Designs, USA, 20th Century
Located in Costa Mesa, CA
Concerto II Signed Abstract Print by Trans Designs, USA, 20th Century.
Category

20th Century American Modern Prints

Materials

Wood, Paper

Laurent Proneur Abstract Oil Painting on Canvas, French American Artist
By Laurent Proneur
Located in Miami, FL
Laurent Proneur Abstract Oil Painting on Canvas, French American Artist Offered for sale is an abstract oil painting on canvas by the French-American artist Laurent Proneur (b.1969-). The painting is bold and dramatic and is artist-signed in the lower right corner. The artist is a French-born American painter and well-known street artist who describes his paintings and other works as a “neoteric experiment in fine art graffiti.” Raised in a family of circus performers, the visual artist and music producer has been surrounded by creativity since he was a child. Proneur trained as an acrobat and juggler prior to his teenage years, so that he might join his family members as they traveled to perform in circuses all over Europe. It wasn’t long before Proneur would discover graffiti on the streets of Paris. Proneur eventually adopted the subversive art form as a way for him to express himself and during the mid-1980s began tagging alongside widely known street artists such as Jonone 156 and Futura 2000 — names he cites as influences today alongside the likes of Jackson Pollock and Pablo Picasso. As street art has long been part of the hip hop culture in the United States, rap music and production also became integral to Proneur’s life. During the 1990s, he established an independent production company, wrote and produced songs for himself and other artists, and worked with labels such as Sony and BMG. Proneur continued to create works of street art over the years, gaining recognition among the other active artists in France and earning acclaim in a book published by Paris Tonkar magazine, a publication that covers street art in Europe. He studied at the Beaux-Arts de Paris for three years and now works out of his studio in Los Angeles, California. In 2017, Proneur collaborated with the German bicycle company Haibike to help raise funds for the youth mountain biking programs of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association. The artist has had group and solo exhibitions at Gallery Montaigne, Terrell Moore...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Paint

Tawja I, Textile Black and White Wall Piece, Unique Piece, Made of Wool
Located in Marseille, FR
- Handspun and handwoven wool, oil paint - 2020 - Unique piece - Framing by Laetitia Verchere Dimensions: 9.6 x 8 in // 24.5 x 20.5 cm.
Category

2010s Arts and Crafts Decorative Art

Materials

Wool

Azulejos Portuguese Hand Painted Tiles for Kitchens, Bathrooms and Outdoors
Located in Baldock, GB
44 Hand Painted Portuguese Tiles - 1m². Tile size: 5.9"H X 5.9"W (15cm X 15cm) Origin: Portugal Production method: Handmade, hand painted, XVI, XVII and XVIII centuries origina...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Ceramic, Paint

Japanese Nihonga Painting 1900 Meiji/Taisho Scroll Shûseki, Okutani Landscape
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Susheki Okutani "Takaya Plum Garden Landscape" Silk, Colored, Authentic, Hanging Scroll, , Double Box size Axis: Height 206.5cm Width 29.3cm Drawing…Height 126.7cm Width 19.5cm *There may be slight differences in dimensions. Thank you for your understanding. situation It is in good condition, but please note that there are some light stains. Please check the image for details. Thank you for your support. Biography Akishi Okutani Japanese painter. Born in Osaka. His name is Tsunejiro. He studied under Kansai Mori. From an early age, he exhibited his works at the Japan Painting Association and the Young People's Painting Association, which was led by Gaho Hashimoto and Gyokusho Kawabata, and won numerous awards. He also opened a private school...
Category

20th Century Taisho Paintings

Materials

Silk

Jean Potronat (1921-1997), French Countryside Oil On Canvas Landscape
Located in Atlanta, GA
Jean Potronat (French, 1921-1997), circa mid to late 20th century). Jean Potronat learned from his accomplished father Lucien who was a French painter known for fine quality depicti...
Category

20th Century French Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Paint

Laurent Proneur Abstract Oil Painting on Canvas, French American Artist
By Laurent Proneur
Located in Miami, FL
Figurative Oil on Canvas Painting by French American Artist Laurent Proneur Offered for sale is a bright, colorful figurative abstract oil painting on canvas by the French-born, California-based artist Laurent Proneur (b.1969...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Paint

Italian Contemporary Hand Painted Botanical Print "Cocos Nucifera", 4 of 4
Located in Scandicci, Florence
Elegant hand-watercoloured print representing Cocos Nucifera, of the palms family. This botanical style print is available in 4 different natural representations to create a brigh...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Prints

Materials

Paper

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...
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Antique Early 18th Century French Baroque Western European Rugs

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20th Century Wall Brackets

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