signature: ‘A Vanlo pinxit 1760’

Pair of Paintings: Portrait of a noblewoman / Portrait of a French nobleman

This qualitative pair of paintings presents us with one of the French noble couple who probably populated the rich court of Versailles during the reign of Louis XV; these are works signed by the famous Charles-Amédée Philippe van Loo (Turin 1719 - Paris 1795), one of the most significant portraitists of his time, requested by the most renowned European courts.

The regal-looking woman is portrayed with a luxurious dress in sugar-colored silk with a large décolleté and wide cuffs, embellished with lace and pearls. The long neck is wrapped in a necklace of thin lace and small pearls, while the hair gathered in a hairstyle that highlights the features of the face, are adorned with a floral decoration. The woman leans with her left elbow on a marble top of a piece of furniture, which emphasizes her noble pose, while intensely gazing at the viewer.

The second work shows the fascinating portrait of a nobleman, dressed in the most traditional 'French style' of the eighteenth century, with a coral-colored velvet jacket, embellished with decorations and gold buttons, which covers a waistcoat always finished with precious decorations golden and a white shirt with lace. The work, taking up the traditional formula for the portraits of the members of the aristocracy, ours is shown in half-figure, slightly turned to the right and with a direct look at the spectator. At his side a small black and white Cocker Spaniel is also depicted, while with an affectionate gesture he seems to want to grab his paw.

Charles-Amédée-Philippe van Loo (1719 - 1795), Naque in Turin in the period in which his father Jean-Baptiste van Loo was busy depicting Charles Emmanuel II of Savoy and other members of the Savoy court; His childhood and artistic training took place between France, mainly in Paris in the paternal workshop, and Italy. In the Belpaese he stayed in both Turin and Rome, where in 1738 he won the Prix de Rome, then going to Aix-en-Provence, before finally returning to Paris in 1745. He was invited to become a member of the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture in 1747, and that same year he married his cousin Marie-Marguerite Lebrun, daughter of the famous painter Michel Lebrun (died 1753).

Among his works, the portrait of the Tsarina Elizabeth of Russia is noteworthy. He was the master of the painter Jean-Baptiste Deshays. Among his other brothers, François (1708–1732) and Louis-Michel (1707–1771) were also painters.

STATE OF CONSERVATION:

The works are presented in an excellent state of preservation.

Complete with magnificent frames in gilded wood (small signs of the time).

The works are accompanied by a certificate of authenticity according to law.

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