Louis de Caullery 1

San Marco basin Venice, Louis de Caullery, oil on panel, 17th c. Flemish school

Idyllic landscape with myhological story of Cephalus and Procris Early 17th century Italian school Workshop Of Paul Bril (Antwerp, 1554 - Roma, 1626) Oil on poplar panel: H. 28 cm (1...

The Prodigal Son Among Courtesans Attributed to Hieronymus Francken II (Antwerp 1578-1623) Early 17th century Antwerp school Oil on oak panel, Dimensions: H. 52.5 cm (20.67 in), W. 74 cm (29.14 in) Flemish-style moulded wood frame Frame: h. 78 cm (h. 30.70 in.), w. 100 cm (39.37 in.) This artwork is sold with a certificate of authenticity guaranteeing its origin, date of execution, and attribution to the artist. At first glance, this festive and joyful painting depicts a group of elegantly dressed people dancing to the sound of an orchestra in a richly decorated interior with a wide opening onto a rural exterior. However, the real theme is cleverly concealed by the painter and is only discernible through the artifice of a small scene in the background where we see a half-naked man, in the company of the pigs next to a makeshift shelter. In fact, beyond the pleasant and apparently superficial character of the painting, it is a subject taken from the parable of the prodigal son in the Gospel. The illustrated episode is the prodigal son among courtesans. Even if the viewer's attention is drawn to the central couple (prodigal son embracing a pretty courtesan) doing the dance steps, the artist takes care in a narrative approach of all the groups and ancillary scenes in order to create a rich and varied composition. Thus the musicians seated on a raised platform are depicted with great skill, their faces animated, their clothes abundantly varied. The theme of music, which has always been associated with that of sensuality and physical love, helps to exacerbate licentious pleasures. The merry company dances "Spanish pavane", a slow court dance from the sixteenth century, danced close to the ground by couples arranged in a procession, which was probably introduced to the south of the Netherlands around 1600 during the governance of Albrecht VII and the daughter of the King of Spain Isabella Clara Eugenia in Brussels. The interior of the house is also carefully elaborated, the embossed leather dyes on the walls, the middle sideboard (typical in Francken interiors), where the rich gold and silver crockery is placed in front of the painting "Andromeda chained to the rock and Perseus arriving to rescue her". The inclusion of a contemporary and probably extant pictorial work is also one of the characteristics of the Francken family, among them Frans Francken the Younger...

Ahasuerus and Haman at the Feast of Esther Attributed to Denys Calvaert (Antwerp, 1540 – Bologna, 1619), not signed Early 17th century Italian School, circa 1610 Oil on poplar panel,...

The Crossing of the Red Sea Workshop of Frans Francken II (Antwerp, 1581–1642) Antwerp, first half of the 17th century Oil on oak panel Dimensions: H. 49.5 cm × W. 64.5 cm Moulded a...

Gabriele Bella (Venice 1730 – Venice 1799) attributed View of Venice with the Guglie bridge (or the Cannaregio bridge, as it was formerly called) circa 1750/60 oil on canvas, ...

Francesco Tironi (Venice, circa 1745 - 1797) View of Venice with the Church of S. Geremia and the Ponte delle Guglie oil on canvas 59 x 75 cm. - with frame 72 x 88 cm. Work a...

Painting oil on canvas measuring 70 x 90 cm without frame and 82 x 102 cm with frame depicting View of the Grand Canal with the Rialto Bridge. The work under examination depicting a...

Venice - Mario De Angeli - Italia 2009 - Oil on canvas cm. 80x120. Gold leaf gilded wooden frame ext. mis. cm.100x140 Mario De Angeli's canvas is an extraordinary work of Italian l...