Large neoclassical screen with four panels painted in oil on canvas, Italy, second half of the 18th century. Dimensions: H 208.5 x W 300 cm In good condition Private negotiation Object accompanied by a certificate of authenticity The large screen is composed of four oil-painted canvas panels. In neoclassical style, it dates back to the second half of the 18th century. Each panel depicts a trompe l'oeil, that is a fake architecture of classical taste with square-section marble columns and a wide plinth. Inside the rosy mirrors of the first and third panels are painted, as if inserted in a niche with bronze frame, of ancient marble busts: these are, as can be read from the fake marble cartouches below, the busts of the emperor Marcus Aurelius and his wife Annia Galeria Faustina. In the lower register, in green mirrors, garlands of ribbons, bows and flowers are depicted. On the other panels, the painter plays with the fake architecture by painting two large pink marble frames, partially covered by two large, soft and voluminous draped curtains, one red and the other in shades of blue. On the thickness of the plinth are depicted two cherubs: the first is trying to move the red curtain, while the other is playing with a greyhound that from the ground tries to reach him. In the lower portion are represented two female heads in grisaille, which simulate marble sculptures. Iconographically, the goddess Ceres or Demeter must be recognized, the maternal divinity of the earth and fertility, the tutelary deity of harvests and birth. The frame of the upper frame is molded with soft and sinuous lines that lighten the architectural structure and increase its decorativeness. This screen, of majestic dimensions and of valuable pictorial quality, lends itself to be inserted, in any environment of your home, both next to antique and modern furniture. It is also well suited exposed placed on the wall, as one or four separate paintings. Of great scenic and decorative impact thanks to the trompe l'oeil, it is also extremely pleasant through the dynamism and liveliness of the scene depicted. Historical and artistic studies are underway in order to better delineate the figure of the painter and the cultural context in which the work was created. New images will be added shortly.
Period: 18th century