18th Century Allegorical Paintings in Gilt Frame after C. Van Loo, Set of Four

$18,000

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Bring the charm of the French high Society into your home with this beautiful suite of antique paintings. Crafted in France, circa 1760, each oil on canvas composition depicts child-like figures practicing the fine arts of painting, music, sculpture and architecture in the manner of Charles Van Loo. Each artwork is set inside the original, carved gilt wood frame. The allegory paintings are in excellent condition with wonderful details and rich colors. The quality of the present works sets them apart from the numerous studio versions of a set of paintings commissioned by Madame de Pompadour and executed by Carle van Loo in 1752 as over doors for the Salon de Compagnies in the Château de Bellevue. The allegories of the Four Arts enjoyed enormous success when exhibited at the Salon of 1753, which Pierre Rosenberg and Marion Stewart note was in no small part due to the established reputation of van Loo. The critics were, in general, most impressed with the novel treatment of these allegorical subjects, and the use of children in representations of the arts. The novelty of this set of over-doors came, as the critics of the day observed, from the use of children in the allegories, a convention which soon achieved wide popularity. The extravagant costumes of the figures, some in 18th century dress, others in Renaissance clothes with slashed velvet sleeves and lace ruffs, has a precedent in the work of Alexis Grimou and was in turn to influence Jean-Honoré Fragonard. Charles-André Van Loo, also called Carle Van Loo (1705-1765), was a Rococo painter especially known for his elegant portraits of European royalty and fashionable society in the mid-18th century. He belonged to a noted family of artists of Flemish origin. His elder brother, Jean-Baptiste Van Loo, brought him up and taught him his profession. In 1724, Van Loo won first prize in the French Royal Academy competition. He went to Rome in 1728 and was awarded various distinctions. On his way back to Paris he stopped in Turin, where he painted works for the king of Sardinia’s palaces. After his return to Paris in 1734, he became a professor at the Academy in 1737 and in 1763 was elected director. Van Loo was appointed first painter to the king in 1762, and shared with François Boucher the favor of Paris society and foreign courts. Mme de Pompadour commissioned him to work at her château at Bellevue. Van Loo was acknowledged as a leading painter of historical and religious subjects in France during the Rococo period. Though versatile in style and technically facile, he was not particularly original. His precise, detailed genre scenes, somewhat reminiscent of Nicolas Lancret, were greatly admired and influenced many painters. Measures: 33″ W x 26″ H.

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