Joost Cornelisz Droochsloot (Circle), Village Scene With Church

c. 1660

Flemish master active in Italy (17th century) - St. John the Baptist Sermon in a Landscape. 58 x 73.5 cm. Old oil painting on canvas, unframed (not signed). Condition report: Li...

Jean-Michel Moreau (French, 1741-1814), Study for a Vignette, Oil on Canvas, 1770s, for "Les A propos de La Folie" by Pierre Laujon, inscribed "Moreau - Esquisse ou Frontispice Les A...

Jean-Michel Moreau (French, 1741-1814), Study for a Vignette, Oil on Canvas, circa 1775, for "Les A propos de La Folie" by Pierre Laujon, inscribed "Moreau - Esquisse ou Frontispice ...

Alessio de Marchis (Naples 1684 - Perugia or Urbino 1752) circle of - Arcadian Landscape with Shepherds and Flock. 60 x 72 cm unframed, 74 x 86 cm with frame. Ancient oil painting ...

Flemish school, 17th century Orpheus and the animals Oil on canvas, 146,5 x 217 cm Provenance: South German private collection. On an impressive, room-filling format, this painting depicts "Orpheus and the Animals." The harp-playing Orpheus sits centrally in front of a tree whose trunk bifurcates above his head. This central tree frames with its crown the scenery towards the horizon and at the same time offers through branches the possibility for many birds to find space. The left half of the picture is characterized by a seascape, at the edge of which the ruins of a castle can be seen deep in the background. This seascape, framed by mountains on the horizon, is the only area where sky can be seen. On this side, waterfowl such as storks, swans and ducks can be seen. In the right half, the viewer looks into a deep European forest. On this right side, more land animals can be found, such as deer, rabbits and lions, among others. Orpheus wears opulent red and gold trimmed clothing, under his blue breastplate we see a white shirt. His feet are adorned by elaborate sandals. His head is surrounded by a radiant laurel wreath ("poeta laureatus"). The young man is clearly identifiable as the singer and poet of Greek mythology, Orpheus, by his harp, the laurel wreath and the animals surrounding him. Orpheus was one of the Argonauts who, under Jason, was searching for the Golden Fleece. He sang so beautifully that he even conquered the angry sea and enemies by the magic of his lyre. During the journey, Orpheus is said to have drowned out even the sirens with his singing. It is said that he was the greatest of all poets and charmed people, animals, stones and trees with his singing. In total, 51 birds and 37 different species are depicted in the painting. The animals are mostly depicted in great detail and, except for a few, can be identified. Mainly European species of animals are shown. Exceptions are the ostrich-like nandu peeking out from behind the deer, as well as the large parrot on the upper left, and the two lions. Similar is the case for the large animal directly behind Orpheus on the right. The shape of the head suggests an arctic fox from the polar regions, even though the body is much too large. The arctic fox was first described in 1555 by Olaus Magnus. However, it could also be a depiction of a brown or black bear. An unusual detail is the animal, which is relatively isolated in the right background and looks to the left. It is not clearly identifiable, but it shows certain similarities with the Australian kangaroo. This was first described by Vespucci in 1500 and further by Francisco Pelsaert in 1629. If it is indeed a kangaroo, this would be one of the earliest surviving pictorial representations. In this painting, Orpheus is accompanied by a small monkey playing a viola da gamba. This is an iconographic peculiarity. In general, this painting has some peculiarities compared to other paintings with "Orpheus and the animals". The central positioning of Orpheus is quite common, but he usually holds a lyre and is dressed in an antique style, but not as opulently. The choice of animals is also remarkable: European animals in particular are seen, hardly any exotic features, such as camels or elephants. The two lions in the right foreground are a quotation from Peter Paul Rubens and his depiction of "Daniel in the Lion's Den", which was realized in an engraving. The present painting can be classified as belonging to the Flemish School of the 17th century on the basis of its painterly and compositional conception. From the circle of Jan Brueghel the Younger are numerous representations of this Orpheus - theme, which take it as an opportunity to show as many exotic animals. There are also echoes of Spanish painters such as Juan de Arellano...

Baroque "Arcadian Fantasy Landscape" – Oil on Canvas (circa 1700) A mesmerizing early 18th-century Baroque landscape, capturing an idealized Arcadian vision of nature, architecture, ...

Hunting played an essential role in the lives of princes and nobles for centuries. It was no different in the 17th century. Paintings depicting hunting scenes were hung, for example, in the hunting lodges of elites. It should be noted that the upper bourgeoisie also began to show interest in painted hunting scenes during the 17th century. In the Southern Netherlands there were a number of skilled animal painters who produced hunting scenes, including Frans Snijders, Paul De Vos, Jan Roos, Pieter Boel and Jan Fyt. Snijders knew how to render the anatomy of the animals masterfully. Also, he managed to make his animals look intelligent. He let them express a variety of feelings. His colleague, Paul De Vos, seems to have been less familiar with animal anatomy. His animals lack a kind of individuality and psychological expression. The panel shows a boar hunt with dogs. It was a prevalent theme, portrayed by Rubens, Snijders, De Vos and others. Buyers were especially interested in the showdown between animal species. The mental and physical strength appealed to their imagination. The painter of this little work has no solid knowledge of dog breeds. Due to a lack of insight into dogs' bone and muscle structure, he makes them look rather stiff. Mainly the heads have something naïve about them. It cannot be ruled out that the artist of this painting is Jan van Kessel...

As the Dutch painter Philips Wouwerman often did, this artist painted travellers stopping at an inn or a farm. One of the men got off his horse to urinate against the facade of the building. The motif of a peeing man was far from an exception in Dutch genre paintings...

A fine, large 18th century veduta capriccio scene with temple ruins after Gennaro Greco from the circle of Pietro Cappelli. The painting is presented in a more modern carved gilt woo...

Landscape with hunters by a lake. 18th century. Oil painting on canvas, from the French or Northern Italian school, Louis XV period. Probably part of the door decoration in an interi...