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ALEXANDRE LANDRE - SEMUR-EN-AUXOIS

23 - Ambroise DUBOIS (1543–1614)
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Estimate €10,000 - €15,000
Sale commission
Description
Ambroise DUBOIS (1543–1614) Venus and Cupid, before 1595 Oil on canvas H_141 cm W_90 cm (Re-stretched, edges re-worked and restored, in a 19th-century frame). Standing before her unmade bed, with Cupid at her side, Venus is depicted full-length, her quiver on the ground and an arrow in her hand. In this classical Renaissance depiction, Dubois employs colours drawn from his Italian inspirations, blended with the sinuous figure characteristic of the Antwerp Mannerism of his training. A painter originally from Flanders, little is known about the early career of this major artist of the Second School of Fontainebleau. Dubois focused primarily on painting large-scale decorative works, notably at Fontainebleau, where, from 1595 onwards, he worked on embellishing the château for Henry IV and Marie de’ Medici. Our painting, the commission for which remains a mystery, may have been part of a larger cycle. However, a monogram appearing in various places on the painting, such as on the bed and the quiver, might provide a clue as to its patron, who remains unidentified today. Our painting, which we attribute unequivocally to the artist, has now suffered from restorations that hinder appreciation of the work. Indeed, certain interventions, which are particularly heavy-handed, bear more the mark of a restorer’s heavy-handedness than that of the painter. This attribution is also endorsed by the *Revue des musées de France* in its recent publication on our work. Bibliography: - New insights into Giampietrino, Jacob de Backer and Antoine Caron, *Revue des musées de France*. *Revue du Louvre*, 3, 2025, fig. 11, p. 54. Expert: ARTÉON consultancy
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About the sale Collection of the Château de Villebourgeon & others
Auction location
Auction time 10/04/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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