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73 - Pair of ovals depicting mythological scenes: Polyphemus and …
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Estimate €2,500 - €5,000
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Description
Pair of ovals depicting mythological scenes: Polyphemus and Galatea and Venus holding Mars Neapolitan school, 18th century oil on canvas 62 x 83 cm The pair of paintings presents two elegant mythological compositions set within idealised landscapes, characterised by a fully 18th-century language that combines decorative taste, controlled sensuality and chromatic refinement. The canvases, conceived as pendants, show a close compositional and stylistic coherence, evident both in the scenic layout and in the soft pictorial handling of the figures.The first oval depicts the episode of Polyphemus and Galatea: the nymph lies next to the young Acis in a pastoral landscape, while on the left side appears the imposing figure of the Cyclops Polyphemus. The scene is enlivened by cupids and floral garlands that accentuate the idyllic and gallant tone of the composition, in keeping with a sensibility typical of Neapolitan decorative painting in the second half of the 18th century.The second painting depicts Venus and Mars: the goddess holds the armed god in an open landscape, accompanied by putti and symbolic attributes that allude to the theme of love capable of disarming war. The dynamic construction of the figures, the wavy drapery and the delicate chromatic balance give the scene a theatrical yet intimately elegant tone.Both canvases reveal a figurative culture updated on international Rococo models, reinterpreted through the luminous and decorative sensibility typical of the Neapolitan milieu. The proximity to the manner of Fedele Fischetti is particularly evident, especially in the softness of the flesh, the idealised grace of the female figures and the fluid handling of the pictorial material. Similarly to Fischetti's production, the scenes in fact combine academic elegance and ornamental taste, with particular attention to atmospheric effects and the luminosity of the palette.The oval typology and the distinctly decorative character of the compositions suggest a probable destination for aristocratic settings or interior decorations, in accordance with a custom that was widespread in Neapolitan painting in the late 18th century.
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About the sale Old Masters and 19th Century Paintings and Drawings
Auction location
Auction time 06/12/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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