Augustin de Saint-Aubin Etchings France 18th Century - Group of 6 Etchings

Oil on canvas. This is a traditional depiction of the event of Jesus' death on the Cross, with his mother Mary and the beloved disciple at the foot of the Cross, contemplating the dying Christ; in the background the city of Jerusalem. Very essential in its depiction, and static in the positions of the evangelical figures, the scene emphasises the drama with a sombre background, although a light opens up high above Christ to announce divine participation in the event. The painting, which has already been retouched, shows some minor colour fading.

Oil painting on canvas. The Holy Family is depicted with Mary and Joseph who, converging one hundredth with their heads close together, frame the Child Jesus, intent on playing with a lamb, the iconographic symbol of the sacrificial victim, therefore a prelude to the Passion, together with the small Cross that the child holds in one hand. The inscription anno 1845 appears at the top right, an indication of the period probably added during the subsequent restoration phase. In fact, the work has been restored and relined. It is presented in a stylish frame.

Oil painting on canvas. French school of the eighteenth century. On the base of the column to the right, there is an inscription with the woman's name, age 86 in the year of the portrait ("Marguerite Paree agèe 86 ans en 1762"). The canvas, with signs of restoration and relining, has a rather marked crack.

Mixed technique on paper, applied on cardboard. Italian school. The name of Londonio is proposed on the back: the delicate piece certainly recalls the subject and manner of the work of Francesco Londonio (1723-1783), the Milanese artist who specialized in the animal and pastoral genre. It can be considered a work inspired by Londonio, by an artist close to his field.

Tempera on paper on etching. French school from about 1750-1770. Refined colouring of a coeval French print. The oriental subject is a young Chinese man who hints at some dance steps on an outdoor trail, under a plant of exotic fruit. The quality of the piece reminds of the French Rococo production, like those of François Boucher (1703-1770) or Jean Pillement (1728-1808), who both contributed to the spreading of the liking for Chinese representations in Europe. Pillement was the author of numerous drawings and etchings of Chinese taste, collected in two volumes (1767-71) and widely spread in Europe as models. The drawing needs cleaning and restoration. It is mounted on cardboard and comes with a frame.

Oil on wooden board. Signed lower right. These are three small paintings proposing landscape glimpses, made in the naturalistic style typical of Lorenzo Gignous: the two lateral ones, measuring 24 x 30 cm, propose the most recurring subject in the Lombard artist's production, i.e. glimpses of Lake Maggiore, animated by fishing boats; in the center a smaller landscape (18 x 25 cm) with a group of trees in the countryside. The three small paintings are presented in a single coeval frame.

Paintings under glass, on a convex glass surface. The two oval paintings offer landscapes enlivened by figurines of people intent on various activities: in one the setting is in the mountains, with small chalets below by the stream and below rocky peaks; in the other instead at night, a placid river flows near wooded banks, illuminated by the full moon. The paintings are presented in contemporary gilded frames, to be restored due to deficiencies.

Penci, charcoal and white lead on paper. Signed E. Bianchi at the bottom left. Very effective is the use of different pigments that creates a play of chiaroscuri that underlines the figure. The portrait comes in a 19th century wooden frame decorated with leather leafy and floral inserts; it shows small color drops and missing parts.

Pencil, charcoal and white lead on paper. SIgned (Amalia Bianche?) and dated at the bottom right. Very effective is the use of different pigments that creat a play of chiaroscuri underlined by the figures. The portrait come in a 19th century wooden frame that had been embellished with leather floral and leafy inserts. It shows small drops of color and missing parts.

Pastoral Scenes

Oil on panel. Decorated with pastoral scenes on a monochromatic light green background, with couples, children, farmers depicted during moments of rest and conversation, in the guise of the models from the 18th century. Probably wooden panels from the doors of furniture, the paintings have been recently mounted on wooden frames. They present some paint losses and spots, especially where the background is.