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Accademia Fine Art

181 - JACQUES COURTOIS ‘LE BOURGUIGNON’ (1621–1676), attributed
See original version (French)

Estimate €600 - €1,200
Description
JACQUES COURTOIS ‘LE BOURGUIGNON’ (1621–1676), attributed Cavalry battle on a bridge Oil on canvas, unframed Dimensions: 48 x 72.5 cm - Jacques Courtois, also known as Giacomo Cortese, was a Jesuit friar from Franche-Comté, commonly referred to as ‘the Burgundian of the Battles’, ‘il Borgognone’ or ‘Giacomo Borgognone’. He received his first lessons in painting from his father, Jean Courtois. In 1636, in Milan, he enlisted in a Franche-Comté regiment in the service of the Spanish. These three years (1636–1639) had a profound influence on the subject matter of his paintings: military marches, sieges and encampments. His paintings are strikingly realistic. In 1640 he was in Rome, where an early work brought him to prominence: *The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes* (1641). Following the death of his wife in 1654, he travelled and stayed in northern Italy, in Bergamo and the surrounding area, and in Venice, where he produced works for palaces and churches. In Siena, in 1657, Jacques Courtois applied for admission to the Society of Jesus. He was accepted as a lay brother: he was then 36 years old. He was sent to Rome to undertake his novitiate at Sant’Andrea del Quirinale. In 1672, at the request of the Superior General, Jean-Paul Oliva, he prepared sketches for the decoration of the apse of the Church of the Gesù, but his failing health prevented him from completing this project.
See original version (French)
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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