1 / 2
Galerie Dreyfus
19
-
D’ALESIO 17th-CENTURY DUTCH SCHOOL
Pair of River Scenes
c.
See original version (French)
19
-
D’ALESIO 17th-CENTURY DUTCH SCHOOL
Pair of River Scenes
c.
See original version (French)
Estimate €50,000 - €63,000
Voluntary lot
Description
D’ALESIO
17th-CENTURY DUTCH SCHOOL
Pair of River Scenes
c. 1640
Oil on canvas
50 x 40 cm.
Signed lower right
From one bank to the other… these two mirrored views of jetties form the matching pairs
of a single river landscape and could depict the mouth of the same river. The eye
wanders from one panel to the other, seeking similarities and differences, as in a
game of ‘spot the seven differences’. The effect of symmetry predominates with these two boats in the foreground,
set to cross paths shortly, guided by the same ferryman standing at the stern. They
provide the continuity of a bridge and bear witness to heavy ferry traffic. Similarly,
on the banks, echoes can be seen from one painting to the other, such as the figure seated in the
foreground who stares at the viewer, and the couples sitting nearby. The right-hand bank seems
however busier, whilst a horseman stands out on the left. Nevertheless, it
is above all the architecture that frames and structures this pair, in a similar manner,
and lends it its uniformity. At the centre of each painting, a tower—round or square—
marks the anchor point, at the foot of which a few houses cluster to form a hamlet.
At each end, the dark façade of a building frames the composition. The distribution
of light follows the same symmetrical patterns; foregrounds in semi-darkness, with a
bright opening on the horizon. The blue sky, streaked with yellow clouds, is also arranged in mirrored pairs.
Somewhere between seascapes and genre scenes, these paintings fit perfectly into the
great tradition of Dutch Golden Age painting. The figures, dressed in the fashion of the
17th century, move through a landscape setting with bucolic overtones. The golden light that bathes
both compositions brings out a range of bright, cheerful colours, where the reds and
blues of the clothing punctuate the scenes with a certain regularity. The lapis lazuli-blue
sky, streaked with golden clouds, hints at a setting sun, thus providing the most
beautiful light—the golden hour. Nothing here is truly realistic, as the aim is rather to present a
picturesque, serene and narrative vision of everyday life, where the eye is drawn to imagining
anecdotes, inventing the characters’ lives, and dreaming of an ideal society—one to which
the prosperous Holland of the 17th century might have aspired to.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
You may also like