Ref.3294
Large antique carved oak wood paneled room with hunting trophies and still lifes decor

This beautiful carved oak wood paneled room was made in the 19th century. Designed originally for a hexagonal room, with a boudoir, it is composed of six carved wall panels. Three panels have window openings, two are fitted with doors, and the last panel has a large overmantel mirror . The harmony of these elements is ensured by a bucolic decoration of grapes and hunting and fishing trophies. The panels are thus compartmentalized and bordered with carved friezes where vines are climbing. Above the doors, windows and the overmantel , these vineyards frame large medallions. Eggs and dart friezes also surround the doors. The doors are decorated with panels, carved with large rosettes and still lives evoking the attributes of agriculture, hunting and fishing. The sculpture of the wood is of a very beautiful quality and quite charming.

Ref.10859
Paul ROUSSEL (1867-1928) - Pair of pewter lamps, cast by Eugène Soleau and globe signed Sèvres

This beautiful pair of lamps was made around 1900 out of pewter. Inspired by Art Nouveau, they bear the signature of Paul Roussel, sculptor, and Eugène Soleau, bronze manufacturer in Paris. A farandole of putti unfolds along the neck while the body of each lamp is adorned with flowers in slight relief. Paul Roussel is a major sculptor of the turn of the 20th century. Born in 1867, he entered the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris where he studied with Jules Cavelier, Louis-Ernest Barrias and Jules Coutan. In 1895, he won the Grand Prix of Rome for the bas-relief "David, winner of Goliath, brought in triumph to Saul". He won several medals at the Salons and exhibited Hors-Concours in London, Brussels, Turin, Liège, Amsterdam, Ghent. From 1906, he became a member of the jury of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and member of the grand jury of the Salon des artistes français. He obtained many orders from the State, including several monuments of importance: "The Duke of Aumale", stone statue commissioned by the State and kept at the entrance of the Museum of Decorative Arts of Paris, for example. He is decorated Knight of the Legion of Honor in 1914 and is promoted officer July 23, 1920. Eugène Soleau, bronzier, was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1853. His foundry was located at 127 rue de Turenne in Paris. Secretary (1885-1889), then vice-president (from 1895 to 1899) and finally president (from 1900) of the Union of Bronze Manufacturers, he invested himself, at French and international levels, in the protection of Intellectual property.

Ref.14516
Pair of decorative canvases on the theme of music in the 18th century taste

Pair of important canvases with a gold background and decorative motifs on the theme of love and music. The ornamental repertoire borrows various images and symbols from 18th century art. This pair of decorative canvases was probably part of a larger set.

Ref.13398
The Oration of Mark Antony, second half of the 19th century

This painting, depicting Marc Antony’s funeral oration over the body of Julius Caesar, was executed in the second half of the 19th century, after 1879. The scene of this painting takes place in the days following Caesar’s assassination in 44 B.C.E. Around twenty conspiratorial senators had struck him down with their weapons. In the aftermath of the event, Rome descended into turmoil. While the Senate sought to preserve peace, Caesar’s funeral, depicted here, only added to the public disorder: initially, the people seemed inclined to align with the conspirators, but the public display of Caesar’s body, Marc Antony’s speech, and the reading of the late consul’s will turned the tide. This is the moment shown in the painting, recounted by various ancient authors, including Suetonius and Appian of Alexandria, as well as by Shakespeare. The imposing architectural setting is structured by a grand staircase and monumental columns, symbolizing both the might of the Roman Empire and Caesar’s authority at its helm. The funeral bed occupies a central place, bearing an inanimate body, pale yet dignified. The grieving populace, gathered to mourn the great man, forms a long diagonal line that fades into the shadowy background, suggesting an endless crowd. The variety of figures, their number, and the diversity of gestures and expressions represent the entirety of the Roman people, come to pay homage to the consul. On the right, Marc Antony raises Caesar’s bloodstained toga. The scene seems drawn from Shakespeare’s tragedy, in which Marc Antony descends from his platform to invite the people to gather around Caesar for the reading of his will. Suetonius, meanwhile, describes Caesar’s funeral pyre erected in the Field of Mars: the body is laid on an “ivory bier draped in purple and gold” alongside the “garments he wore when he was killed.” The painter carefully portrays the “procession of all those wishing to bring offerings.” Appian of Alexandria adds the detail of Piso, Caesar’s executor, who insisted on making the will and the funeral public. Piso may be the figure descending the steps in the upper right, holding a parchment scroll. According to Appian, after Caesar’s body was carried to the Forum, Marc Antony read aloud his decrees and, overcome with grief, “unveiled Caesar’s body, displayed his robe... torn by dagger blows and still stained with blood.” Although the painter embraces pathos, he refrains from depicting Caesar’s face disfigured by wounds, as described in Plutarch’s account. Beyond the architectural details and textual fidelity, the artist’s taste for historicism is evident in the inclusion of incense burners and the meticulous rendering of garments. According to ancient sources, the tumult caused by Caesar’s funeral was so great that it culminated in the creation of a spontaneous pyre, as the crowd could not agree on another location and the risk of fire was lessened in the Forum. The people then sought to avenge Caesar by setting fire to the homes of the conspirators. The moment depicted is thus a pivotal one: between approval of the assassins and mourning, and between mourning and vengeance, embodying a peak of tension and emotional expressiveness. The renowned German history painter Karl von Piloty created an Assassination of Julius Caesar that might be considered a prelude to this work. Though less famous than the assassination of Julius Caesar, the subject of Marc Antony’s oration saw renewed interest in the 19th century. For instance, Georg Edward Robertson (1864-1926) created a Funeral Oration of Marc Antony Over the Body of Caesar around 1894-1895, now held in the Hartlepool Museums’ collections. Its composition features similar elements to this painting: an imposing architectural framework evocative of ancient Rome; the mourning crowd; the body laid out for all to see; and Marc Antony, advocating for Caesar and his cause against that of the tyrannicides. This monumental work thus captures a lesser-known but equally fertile subject, rich in expressiveness and historical representation, deeply rooted in the century of its creation.