Jan van Bunnik

River Landscape with Shepherds and Architecture, a painting by Jan van Bunnik

Late 17th century

This small landscape shows a hunting scene: two riders are chasing a stag with their dogs at the edge of a forest. Signed by Peter von Bemmel, it is typical of the production of this...

In this painting, Gabriel de Saint-Aubin, the great chronicler of the reign of Louis XV, takes us to the annual parade of the Swiss Guards at the Plaine de...

This painting, created during Zuccarelli's stay in England, represents the decisive moment when Macbeth, together with Banquo, meets the three witches who announce that he will be Ki...

Here Gaspard Dughet offers us an idyllic vision of the Roman countryside. The stages follow one another in a perfectly structured composition, revealing here a lake, there travellers walking along, gradually leading our eye to the blue horizon. But behind its classical composition, this landscape is particularly interesting because of three anthropomorphic details that the artist has hidden, opening the way to a radically different interpretation... 1. Gaspard Dughet, a landscape artist in the light of Poussin Gaspard Dughet was born on June 4th, 1615 in Rome where his father, of French origin, was a pastry cook. He was probably named Gaspard in honour of his godfather Baron Gaspard de Morant, who was, or may have been, his father's employer. His older sister Jeanne married the painter Nicolas Poussin (1594 - 1655) on September 1st, 1630. The young Gaspard was apprenticed with his brother-in-law at the beginning of 1631, which led his entourage to name him Gaspard Poussin. The first preserved works of the painter date from the years 1633-1634 and were painted in Poussin’s studio. Around 1635, Gaspard Dughet became emancipated and began to frequent the Bamboccianti circle. In 1636, he became friends with the painter Jean Miel (1599 - 1656), but also with Pier Francesco Mola (1612 - 1666) and Pietro da Cortona (1596 - 1669). This was also the time of his first trips throughout Italy. The painter, although of French origin, appears never to have visited France. In 1646 he settled permanently in Rome. A recognized painter with a solid book of orders, he remained faithful to landscape painting throughout his life, alternating between cabinet paintings and large decorative commissions, using both oil and fresco. Nailed to his bed by rheumatic fever at the age of 58, he died on May 25, 1675. 2. Discovering an idealized landscape Beyond a relatively dark foreground that takes us into the landscape, we discover a vast bluish horizon: a plateau surrounded by deep ravines advances to the right, overhanging an expanse of water that sparkles below. A road winds through a mountainous mass as if leading us to the fortress that crowns it; another town appears in the distance at the foot of three conical mountains. The composition is rigorous, mineral, and structured by geometric volumes. The various stages in the landscape lead one to the next attracting the eye towards the horizon located in the middle of the canvas. The general impression is that of a welcoming and serene nature. In many places the paint layer has shrunk, or become transparent, revealing the dark red preparation with which the canvas was covered and accentuating the contrasts. Human presence is limited to three jack players, leaning against a mound in the foreground. Their long garments, which may evoke Roman togas, contribute to the timelessness of the scene. Close examination of the canvas reveals two other travellers on the path winding between the rocks. Made tiny by the distance, their introduction in the middle register, typical of Dughet's art, lengthens the perspective. While it is difficult to date the work of a painter who devoted his entire life to the representation of landscapes, it is certain that this painting is a work from his later years. The trees that occupied the foreground of his youthful compositions have been relegated to the sides, a stretch of water separates us from the arid mountains counterbalanced by two trees represented on the opposite bank. The introduction of this stretch of water in the middle of the landscape betrays the influence of the Bolognese and in particular of the Dominiquin (1581 - 1641) A number of similarities with a drawing in the British Museum might suggest a date around 1656-1657, since, according to Marie-Nicole Boisclair , it has been compared with the Prado's Landscape with the Repentant Magdalene, painted at that period. 3. Three amazing anthropomorphic details While some late Renaissance landscapes offer a radical double reading, allowing one to see both a face or a human body behind the representation of a landscape, it seems interesting to us to hypothesize that Gaspard Dughet had fun here by slipping in a few details that, taken in isolation, evoke human or animal figures. We will give three examples, looking closely at a cloud, the trunk of a broken tree and the top of a cliff. The main cloud could thus evoke a Christ-like face or that of an antique god...

Provenance: Alfred Stevens Collection Sold by Madame Blanc on May 3, 1876 (number 24 representing The Departure of the Vendéens, FRF 510, bought back by Madame Blanc). Paul Touzet (...

During his stay in Italy from 1734 to 1752, Joseph Vernet made several trips to Naples between 1737 and 1746, where he painted numerous maritime scenes. The pre...

Painted in collaboration with Hendrick van Balen (Antwerp, 1575 – 1632). Provenance: Private Collection, Uruguay, since the 1930s. The eldest son of Jan Br...

Flemish School, 1600s Landscape With Pan and Syrinx painted around the 1600s oil on copper 19 x 23.5 cm frame 29 x 34 cm Hand-made oak frame by Swedish frame maker Christer Björkma...

A very interesting set of five mid-20th-century Italian oils on copper. All five are classical landscape subjects and are signed Roger, though we don't know which artist with the n...

A Pair of Forest Landscapes with River and Boat in the Foreground Brinckmann Philipp Hieronymus Spire 1709 – 1761 Manheim Old Master Signature: Signed "Ph. Brinckm" bottom lower lef...

18th century old master painting depicting a peaceful countryside scenery at sunset with a fortified town visible in the distance attributed to Franz Paula de Ferg In the present je...

Pieter Gysels, also known as Peeter Gijsels, was a renowned Flemish painter who lived from 1621 to 1690/91. He was known for his landscapes, which often depicted idyllic scenes from nature, and his works are highly sought after by Old Master collectors. We are proud to offer a newly discovered pair of landscapes attributed to him; this one called "A Wooded Landscape With Riders" This stunning painting captures the beauty of a serene summer day in the countryside. In the foreground, we see a couple riding on horsebacks, enjoying the peaceful surroundings. The horses seems to be trotting gently, and the riders are relaxed, taking in the natural splendour around them. In the distance, we see several other figures, perhaps farmers or peasants, doing their daily tasks. We also see a small stream flowing through the landscape, with several small houses. And in the background, we see a beautiful wooded area with tall trees reaching up towards the sky. The attention to detail in this painting is truly remarkable. Gysels use of vibrant colours evoke the warmth and beauty and he skillfully captured the play of light on the landscape, creating a sense of depth and atmosphere. The detailing of the cottages, the colors, the use of big-leafed plants in the foreground, and the figure types are typical of his signature style. "A Wooded Landscape With Riders" is painted on copper, which gives the painting a unique luminosity and depth. The use of copper as a support for paintings was popular in the seventeenth century. We also have one more painting called "Wooded Landscape With an Elegant Company...