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Paul Bril Animated landscape, workshop of Paul...

Price Tax incl.:
3500 EUR

Paul Bril Animated landscape, workshop of Paul Bril (1533-1626), 17th century Oil on poplar panel, h. 28 cm, l. 36.5. Presented in a fine brown tortoiseshell veneer frame. Framed: h. 38.5 cm , l. 47.5 cm A mythological scene from the story of Cephalus and Procris is set in a magnificent landscape. One day, Cephalus, son of Hermes and Hersé, goes out hunting, accompanied by his dogs and armed with his magic crossbow whose arrows always hit the mark. Deceived by the noise coming from the bushes, and thinking of game, he shoots an arrow and accidentally kills his wife, Procris, who was hiding in the bushes, spying on her husband out of jealousy. And so we find the unhappy couple, seated against a rock, as Cephalus attempts to remove the arrow from his wife's chest. Tall, shadowy trees on either side frame this scene, whose theatrical aspect is underscored by numerous shadows and areas of light, which recede as far as the eye can see against the bluish horizon. To the left, slightly in the background, a shepherd walks with his flock, unaware of the tragedy unfolding nearby. In this way, a contrast is created where the tranquility of the landscape and the warm, soft light contrast with the mythological drama. The foliage of the trees is delicately set off by the traditional color palette of brown, green and blue, which delineate the space and create depth through changing hues (from browns in the foreground to blues on the horizon). The admiring contemplation of nature is conveyed through the artist's skill and ability. Our panel is a studio work by Paul Bril, a variant of a lost work known from an engraving by Paul Bril's pupil William van Nieulandt (now in the Rijksmuseum, Paul Bril (1533, Antwerp - 1626, Rome) was a Flemish painter and engraver of the Antwerp school, active in Rome from 1582 until his death. Paul Bril is best known for his landscapes featuring hunters and mythological scenes. Alternating light and dark zones, and a succession of blues, greens and yellows, become the usual pattern in these pleasantly laid-out, deeply perspective views, shot through with a powerful, muted lyricism of vegetation and light. Bril's reputation was immense and, as early as 1620, a Roman amateur like Mancini ranked him first among landscape painters, after Carracci. He painted landscape frescoes in various churches and in the palaces of popes and cardinals in Rome. However, he is best known for his small-format landscapes on copper or panel. He also left a large number of drawings. Paul Bril's reputation brought him followers from all over Europe, including Guillaume Niewlant. Our painting is a version of a lost work known from an engraving by Niewlant.

Galerie Nicolas Lenté
2, rue des Saints-Pères
75007 Paris