Offered by Antichità Castelbarco
17th-century French school
Ceres as an allegory of Summer
Oil on canvas 53 x 90 cm. - Framed 67 x 103 cm.
The painting depicts the goddess Ceres, reclining on the grass outdoors, accompanied by a faun and some playful cherubs.
Depictions like this, with mythological themes, became widespread starting in the 16th century with the aim of drawing attention to allegorical themes: specifically, cycles of the seasons—each represented by a deity—were highly prized in noble palaces: spring personified by Venus, autumn by Bacchus, winter by Aeolus, and finally summer, the subject of our canvas, with Ceres.
This is a French work created by a painter active in the mid-17th century, evoking the themes in vogue in the Fontainebleau School, that heterogeneous artistic movement that developed in France in the 16th century, closely linked to the patronage of King Francis I, which attracted a mix of Italian, Flemish, and French artists.
The mythological and allegorical subject of the work shown is typical of the style and themes addressed by the artists of this school; the second Fontainebleau school, in particular, included artists such as the Flemish painter Ambroise Dubois and the French artists Toussaint Dubreuil and Martin Fréminet.
In this context, Dubois’s most important work was the decoration of the Gallery of Diana, which was destroyed in the 19th century.
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.
