Antique Painting Female Portrait In the Style of Jakob Ferdinand Voet - In the Style of Jakob Ferdinand Voet

Oil on canvas from the Venetian school of the first half of the 18th century. The landscape resembles the pictorial style of Bartolomeo Pedon, one of the most renowned Venetian landscape painters of the Baroque period. The scene, rich in vegetation, frames a clearing in the woods near a stream that joins a river. Shepherds, male and female, rest and eat while their flock grazes nearby. In the background, a valley extends with scattered buildings and mountain peaks fading into a blue sky. The details of the vegetation and buildings are accurate and well-rendered. The painting is presented in a contemporary wooden frame, regilded in the early 1900s.

Oil on canvas. Central European school of the 18th century. The distinguished lady, who flaunts a dress enriched with bows and lace, is seated at her desk and holds a letter in her hand; at the bottom left an envelope bears traces of a name, unfortunately illegible, a device to make the portrayed character known. Restored and relined, the painting is presented in an early 1900s frame.

Boy with Chickens

Oil on canvas. The painting's pictorial style and subject matter are reminiscent of the circle of Giacomo Francesco Cipper, known as Todeschini, an artist of Austrian origin who established himself in Milan. He specialized in market scenes, open-air concerts, card players, and scenes of humble daily life, rendered with playful caricature and a search for comic effect. This is the case in this work, which portrays a young commoner tending to two chickens placed in a basket on the table, even though the knife lying beside him suggests he's about to sacrifice them! Cipper's characters, though humble, are characterized by an impertinent nature, manifested by their fixed gazes on the viewer, attracting their attention. This is also true in this case: the boy stares ahead, laughing and winking, seeking the viewer's approval or even complicity. The work can therefore be attributed to an artist very close to Cipper. It has been restored and relined in the past. It is presented in an early 20th-century guilloche frame.

Oil on canvas. Central European School, late 17th century. The large scene recounts the biblical episode recounted in the Book of Exodus, the miracle performed by God to help the people of Israel fleeing from Egypt. Since the Israelites could not find food in the desert, God rained manna from the sky every morning, covering the ground like dew and allowing them to collect and eat. However, divine prescription dictated that only what was needed for that day be collected, as a sign of trust in God, who would renew the miracle. In the scene presented here, several women, men, and boys are in the center, using whatever containers they can find to collect the light white powder raining from the sky. A ray of light shining on the scene indicates the divine presence. On the right, Moses and Aaron can be seen watching with satisfaction; on the left, in the background, is the Israelite camp with other figures rushing to collect the manna. While the prophet and the priest wear period-appropriate clothing, the women in the center wear elegant dresses contemporary to the painting. The work shows traces of previous restorations; there are currently tears in the canvas. Presented in a 19th-century-style frame.

Oil on canvas. 18th-century French school. View of a harbor near a white city, with ships anchored offshore and lifeboats with passengers moving toward or away from them. Numerous figures enliven the scene, set at dawn, with the sun still low behind the clouds, its rays filtering through to illuminate the sky. Similar works are known by the painter Charles François Lacroix de Marseille (1700-1779), who worked extensively in Italy, establishing himself with his ideal views of the Mediterranean coast. Port views are a recurring theme, a synthesis of realism and ornamental taste, transcending classical landscapes and anticipating solutions of the Enlightenment and Romantic tastes. The painting has been restored and relined in the past. It is presented in a period frame.

Oil on canvas. The broad landscape frames a glimpse of a lush, green plain at the foot of rocky outcrops; a navigable river flows through it, cascading over it. On the left, a path descends from the arched passage between two buildings on the hill behind; two men in oriental dress are walking along it, carrying a huge berry branch on a stick. The scene is depicted at sunset, with rosy hues of the sky radiating across the mountain peaks. The painting has been restored and relined in the past. It is presented in an early 20th-century gilded frame.

Oil on canvas. The large Baroque scene is completely filled with several figures, intertwined and overlapping, albeit at different levels of depth. Seated at the center is the Virgin, surrounded by the other figures: in her arms is the Baby Jesus, leaning sideways toward Saint John the Baptist, who holds his cross surmounted by the sash bearing the inscription "Ecce Agnus Dei"; in the second row, on the left, is an angel, gazing adoringly at the two children; on the right, a saint, recognizable as Saint Dominic by his iconographic attributes: his Dominican habit, but above all, the star (or North Star) on his forehead, indicating his ability to direct people to Christ, and the lily he holds, a symbol of purity. The figures' dynamism is accentuated by the colors of the figures, particularly those of Mary's dress: the red of her robe, taken from the book half-hidden behind Jesus, which she holds in one hand, and the blue with yellow edges of her cloak, which are also found in the angel's robe. The range of flesh tones is also remarkably varied, with a striking contrast between the paleness of Baby Jesus' body and the tanned complexion of John the Baptist. The work has undergone restoration and relining in the past. It is presented in a period frame.

Oil on canvas. In the foreground, the ruins of a large classical-style building with imposing columns occupy the scene. In the background, across a stream, is a small castle with a bridge, shaded in blue-white hues that connect the water with the sky. On the front canvas, the painting shows traces of previous restorations. It is presented in a late 19th-century frame, regilded.

Oil on canvas. Italian school, late 18th century. Portrait of a prelate in his cassock, posing before the curtain that hides the fluted columns of his place of worship. The facial features are well-detailed. The painting has been relined in the past. It has a small loss of paint in the upper right corner. In a late 19th-century frame (requires restoration).

Oil on canvas. 18th-century Italian school. In a lush, hilly landscape, stand the turreted walls of a building overlooking a pond; several women bathe in it, while a young man fishes. The painting was restored and relined in the late 19th century; it currently has some slight paint loss in the upper right corner. Presented in an early 20th-century gilded frame.

Oil on canvas. The scene depicts an episode from the 17th-century novel "Les Aventures de Télémaque" (The Adventures of Telemachus) by François Fénelon, published in 1699. In Fénelon's tale, Telemachus (son of Ulysses), while searching for his father accompanied by Mentor (who disguises himself as the goddess Athena), is shipwrecked on the island of Calypso and falls in love with a nymph. To prevent Telemachus from leaving the island and abandoning the girl, the goddess Calypso, who has taken them in, orders her nymphs to burn the ship on which Telemachus and Mentor had arrived. In the painting presented, in the left foreground, Mentor urges the young Telemachus to turn away, while he is still gazing at the girl standing on the path to the right; meanwhile, the other nymphs set fire to the boat, stranded on the shore, with their torches. The canvas, previously relined, has several paint losses. It is presented in a period frame.