French Rococo Drop-Leaf Secretaire Bronze Sessile Oak France 18th Cent

Oil painting on canvas. Southern Italian school of the 17th-18th centuries. The scene, full of characters, sees the figure of a leader standing at the centre, well defined in the details of the armour, the crest, as well as the anatomy: he is benevolently accompanying with the movement of his arms a kneeling man who, together to his companion, he is paying homage to an emperor, however indicating with his outstretched hand the group of six children, held back on the right by soldiers. The emperor has risen from the throne, on the left, and goes to meet the prostrate couple, but he too seems almost in an attitude of reverence towards the central leader. The scene seems to refer to a historical episode of clemency of a leader, who due to his age, features and type of armour, could be Alexander the Great, a character who, however, is difficult to match with the other figure crowned with laurel, who descends from the throne in the sumptuous palace . It is therefore not possible to specifically identify the episode (historical or legendary?) of reference. Furthermore, the compositional richness of the scene is appreciated, with numerous well-detailed figures and bright colors to underline its dynamism. The work, restored and relined, is presented in an antique frame.

Hunting Scene

Oil on canvas. Northern European school of the 18th century. The large scene, set in a Nordic landscape, with thick vegetation under impervious blue peaks, represents the culminating moment of a hunt for a fawn: the knight, who occupies the upper part of the scene, is spearing the prey, terrified and broken down in agony; all around the pack of dogs participates, running around the rider and the prey. Among all, the dog in the center at the bottom stands out, the only one with light fur: the intense brightness that it emanates and which brings out the accurate design of its fur, the moving muscles, the exalted expression of the animal, makes it they make the protagonist of the scene, drawing the gaze towards themselves, while all the other figures, including the knight, become the outline, accurate and precise but not the protagonist. It is precisely the accuracy in painting the animals that places the work close to the production of Philip Peter Roos, known as Rosa da Tivoli: originally from Frankfurt but then moved to Rome, where he remained until his death, this artist was very active above all as a painter of animals, shot in the foreground against landscape backgrounds and executed with rich color and intense light effects. The great success he had and the consequent very large production (sometimes to the detriment of the quality of the works), justify the frequent attribution to this painter of works with a subject and pictorial technique close to his, such as the one presented here, which however is not documented and validated. Restored and relined, the painting is presented in a late 19th century frame.

Cherubs' Game

Oil on canvas. In the depicting scene, three cherubs are play-acting: one of them is wearing a smiling mask and is trying to scare his mate, while the last one is dressed up like a pilgrim. 18th century.

Oil painting on canvas. On the back there is a scroll with an old attribution to Hubert Robert (1733 -1808), a French painter who traveled in Italy bringing back various picturesque views and glimpses, populated by architectural ruins. In this work, the glimpse of a hilly countryside is set in a village with farmhouses and a fountain in the centre, in the midst of which however there are also classical architectural ruins: in the center three columns of a temple, further on the left the ruins of an amphitheater. Several popular figurines wander among the structures. Restored and relined, the painting is presented in a frame.

Oil on canvas. Central European school. The scene, set inside a tavern, depicts a fight between two men, who are held by the other patrons and by the innkeeper; on the table, next to the interrupted lunch, the cards of the game that sparked the quarrel. The whole scene is filled with figures, painted in a raw and almost grotesque way, with very pronounced, almost theatrical expressions and poses, underlined even more by the bright colours. Due to these characteristics, the painting fits well into that production of genre scenes based on popular life captured in its most lively and characteristic moments, which started in the seventeenth century in Central Europe, especially in the Netherlands, to replace naturalistic and religious painting with lighter subjects, and which in Italy found a particular expression in the "Bamboccianti School", developed in Rome by Flemish and Italian painters. The painting has been restored and relined. It is presented in a period frame.

Oil on canvas. Central European School. The scene is set in the shop of a barber, who is intent on cutting a man's hair under the watchful eye of other customers and, above all, of some women with children, one of whom even observes the result of his work with glasses. Glasses were introduced in art first as a sign of distinction, and later also as a sign of scientific attention, progressively delineating the figure of the scholar, doctor and surgeon: in this painting, they actually underline the irony of the scene, and they are used as a tool for a close female examination of the spouse's haircut! The whole scene is filled with figures, painted in a crude and almost grotesque way, with very marked, almost theatrical expressions and poses, underlined as well by the bright colours. Due to these characteristics, the painting fits well into that production of genre scenes based on popular life captured in its most lively and characteristic moments, which originated in the seventeenth century in Central Europe, especially in the Netherlands, to replace naturalistic and religious painting with lighter subjects, and which in Italy found a particular expression in the "Bamboccianti School", developed in Rome by Flemish and Italian painters. The painting has been restored and relined. It is presented in an antique frame.

Gallant Scene and Bucolic Scene

Matching paintings on leather representing a gallant scene and a bucolic scene. Styled frames.

Oil painting on canvas. Emilian school of the 17th-18th century. This is an ancient copy of the famous panel painting by Correggio, entitled The Madonna of San Girolamo or Il Giorno, dating back to around 1528 and preserved today in the National Gallery of Parma. The subject of the representation is Saint Jerome's presentation to Jesus of the translation of the Bible from Hebrew into popular Latin, a work carried out by the saint at the request of Pope Damasus and which he accomplished by locking himself up in solitude in the Bethlehem cave. In the painting, the centrality of the scene is occupied by Mary sitting with the Baby Jesus in her arms. Various figures are composed around them in a semicircle. On the left is the powerful figure of old Jerome standing, looking at the Child, while clutching the translation scroll in his hand, with the lion, his hermit companion, crouched at his feet. On the same side, an angel holds the Bible while smilingly addressing the Madonna and Child. On the other side, Magdalene lies semi-reclining, affectionately embracing the baby's foot, who in turn caresses her hair, in an intimate gesture that underlines the intense bond between the two figures. Behind Magdalene, a little angel wrinkles his nose sniffing the penitent saint's jar of ointments. The scene is placed under a red curtain, open onto a large landscape. Correggio's painting was widely successful, so much so that numerous copies and ancient replicas exist, including this one presented here. The work, restored and relined, is presented in an ancient contemporary frame.

Oil painting on canvas. Italian school of the 17th-18th centuries. Magdalene is depicted inside a cave, stretched out on the ground in a pose of soft abandon, partially covered by a white cloth and with her long loose hair covering her bare breasts, arranged almost to form an embroidery on her body; the saint is reading the Bible and holds a Cross with her hand resting on a skull, the traditional Memento mori. Around her, three little angels assist her, one holding the jar of ointment, the other arranging her hair, the third covering her feet with the white cloth. The sacredness of the scene mixes with the sensuality that Magdalene exudes, enhanced by the play of lights and shadows that highlight her body and the complexions of the little angels. Restored and relined, the painting shows traces of an ancient patch in the upper right corner, made with another canvas (probably because the original canvas had been inserted in an irregular space).

Oil painting on canvas. The scene tells the biblical episode of the book of Exodus in which little Moses, whom his mother had entrusted to the river inside a basket to save him from the massacre of the Israeli male children (ordered by the Pharaoh of Egypt to prevent if the Israeli people became too numerous and could rebel against slavery), he is found by a handmaiden of Pharaoh's daughter, who decides to adopt him and saves him. The scene is set on the banks of a river but in a non-oriental landscape, with architectural structures on the right: numerous figures, depicting the princess' entourage, placed in the center together with the child in the basket. The restored canvas was applied on a modern stretcher. It is presented in chronicle of the 19th century.

Oil on canvas. Landscape of Northern Italy, with large mountains covered in snow on the background, there is a small castle at their feet, and the wide river is in the foreground, with some fishermen on its shores. The painting has some paint losses and evident craquelure. It is presented in a frame in style.