Offered by Antichità Castelbarco
Noël Hallé (Paris, 1711–1781)
Venus and Cupid
Oil on canvas 70 x 100 cm. Framed 87 x 118 cm.
Excellent condition. The work is complete with a sumptuous frame featuring shell and scroll motifs, which further accentuates its aristocratic elegance.
This enchanting 18th-century painting, depicting Venus with Cupid, captures in every detail the essence of French Rococo, a style renowned for its elegance and the delicacy of its themes, often linked to love and mythology.
This is a valuable work, attributed to the French master Noël Hallé (Paris, 1711–1781), who conceived this subject, titled "Le Midi," around 1746.
The composition, in particular, was part of an allegorical series of overdoor panels depicting the four moments of the day.
They were originally commissioned by the French aristocratic financier Jean-François Gaillard de La Bouëxière from the architect Antoine-Mathieu Le Carpentier—with whom Hallé frequently collaborated—to decorate his villa in Paris.
The work achieved iconographic success in 1753, when Hallé also presented them at the Salon de Paris: from that moment on, these models were frequently replicated, in different sizes and with varying levels of artistic quality.
Today, they can be found in public collections or on the antique market. One of these, signed and dated, appeared at a Christie’s Monaco auction on December 7, 1991 (lot 48, https://rkd.nl/imageslite/1024008 ).
In the center, a splendid Venus reclines on a bed of soft, billowing clouds, which lend the composition a sense of ethereal lightness. She is captured in a moment of tenderness as she receives an affectionate kiss from the little Cupid, emphasizing the theme of tender love.
Her body assumes a soft, sinuous pose, typical of the taste of the era, and the light drapery emphasizes the grace characteristic of the classical deities portrayed during this period. On the right, another cherub plays carefree with doves, universal symbols of Venus and peace, which lend dynamism and vitality.
From a stylistic perspective as well, we are witnessing a triumph of Rococo canons, a style that successfully interpreted the peculiarities of French society under the Ancien Régime in painting. Undisputed masters of this period, alongside Noël Hallé, include the great François Boucher and Jean-Honoré Fragonard, each with their own stylistic characteristics, elevating the grace and playfulness of the Rococo to the highest levels.
Hallé expressed himself with a more composed and academic style, and his figures possess a more defined solidity, in contrast to Boucher, who, on the other hand, focused entirely on sensuality and the richness of decorative details.
As for the color palette, the painter typically employed a delicate palette dominated by pastel tones, the pure white of the clouds, and the rosy complexions of the figures.
The soft lighting seems to make the figures float in the sky, conveying a sense of serenity, where only the celebration of ideal beauty and the joy of life shines through—central elements in 18th-century French aristocratic commissions.
Delevery information :
We take care of and organise the transport of the purchased works, both for Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers.
We take great care We personally take care of the packaging, to which we devote a great deal of care: each work is carefully packed, first with arti- cle material, then with a custom-made wooden box.
Should you have the desire to see this or other works in person, we would be happy to welcome you to our gallery in Riva del Garda, Viale Giuseppe Canella 18, we are always open by appointment only.
