Old Painting Oil on Canvas Still Life Hare Fruit Baroque 19th Century

  

Hello, I am selling this painting with a height of 44 cm and a width of 63 cm if we only consider the composition, and 62 cm by 80 cm including its frame. You can find a page on the internet, on the website "La Seyne en 1900," detailing some juicy aspects of its personality, particularly subversive and dandyish, which made him appear as a gentle original. His tragic and early end, at just 35 years old, occurred when, after yet another argument with his partner, with whom he had an intense relationship in every sense of the word, she, armed with a revolver, shot him in the chest, right after he had vandalized the portraits he had made in her honor. Nothing can overshadow his immense talent as a painter, some of which can be seen on that same page, which I highly recommend you visit, and which was by no means limited to seascapes since the artist was also a caricaturist, portraitist, and painter of particularly striking still lifes.

The painting I am offering you, a still life, represents a hare placed at the center of the composition, stretched out on a kitchen board, with a knife leaning against its flank. It is noticeable that the legs and ears extend beyond the board, emphasizing the considerable dimensions of this beautiful specimen.

There is something in this chosen posture by the painter, frozen by death, that evokes reverence, a true respect for the life given by this animal, a deep desire to enhance its already elegant appearance in life, as if only death and the artist could capture what cannot be seen otherwise. The feeling of purity emanating from it is further reinforced by the near absence of apparent violence, unlike some representations of these same Leporids that fall into a form of barbarism and/or disrespect for the creature.

Thus, one should not be surprised that the presence of this knife slightly embedded in the fur, placed in a particularly delicate manner, its shadow accompanying it, rather than suggesting violence, suggests the density of the fur, which is superbly rendered from head to paws, with a softness and fluffiness that one can easily imagine to the touch. The other elements that articulate around it, three persimmons, a basket that seems to contain one or two more of these fruits, and a copper coffee pot, complete a composition in which the placement is remarkably judicious and thoughtful, even down to the string on the board that fills a void; revealing the painter's mastery, whether in the quality of the line, the rendering of textures, or the judicious association of certain colors with others; and enjoying a chiaroscuro that enhances its almost religious dimension and its power of seduction.

Despite slight traces of alteration here and there, in the form of small cracks, one of which is more visible between the basket and the coffee pot, at a height (something quite discreet in ordinary observation conditions) and indeed allows light to pass through under certain conditions that do not represent normal observation conditions (the photo revealing this phenomenon must have been taken against the light), some chipping here and there, particularly at the base of the knife blade, but presenting no real risk of worsening if care is taken when opening it, very discreet paint losses, and a few places where hairs have caught, the painting is in good, even very good general condition, and has never been restored or re-canvas. The frame is also in good to very good condition, despite a few small material losses here and there and minor signs of wear. The painting holds very well in its frame, and the tension of the canvas is excellent. It should be noted that the varnish does not seem perfectly uniform, which is only noticeable with reflections (last photos).

The vast majority of the photos were taken on a sunny afternoon, in a very well-lit room, using the natural light coming from an ordinary window located on the right side. After numerous tests, I found that the color rendering in the first two photos, with my equipment, is the one that most faithfully reproduces what can be observed under similar conditions, regardless of the distance. However, note that computer screens or mobile phones other than mine, and depending on their brightness and contrast, may modify the results I have achieved more or less. With these elements in mind, you can still consider my pictures as sufficiently representative of reality, in observation conditions similar to those described earlier.

The third photo gives an idea of the scale of the elements depicted in the painting. Attention collectors, those attracted to vintage items, curiosities, decorative objects, or simply admirers of their intrinsic beauty! This is an excellent gift idea.

The shipping will be done with care unless you prefer a hand-delivery, which is quite possible if you make the trip. The dimensions of the package, with a developed size over 150 cm, classify it as oversized. For insurance to be valid, it is imperative, if the cardboard is damaged enough (it is up to you to determine upon inspection) anywhere, and/or opened, even partially, that you ask the delivery person to indicate reservations, if it is a shipment with the Post, or that you refuse the package with the staff at the pickup point, if it is a shipment to a pickup point, UNLESS, you will then need to ask them, you have the possibility to note reservations with the scan box of the shipping slips - then you can receive the package - before they scan the shipping slip or perform any other operation confirming that you have indeed retrieved the package; in other words, ask to thoroughly check the condition of the cardboard, without omitting any area, in these two scenarios before they act. Regarding delivery to a pickup point, if your refusal to receive is stated, the package will be kept by the pickup point to be returned to the claims service for verification to report the responsibility of the delivery personnel and to make the insurance effective (elements gleaned from their site) in case the item is damaged. Regarding the Post, if delivery occurs in your mailbox as the dimensions of the package allow, without hand delivery therefore, and the cardboard is sufficiently damaged (a nuance for you to determine), you will need to take it back to the nearest post office without opening it, asking the counter staff to return the package to me (elements collected from their site), again in anticipation of a delivery service verification, UNLESS, as in the case of a delivery to a pickup point, the postal office staff can indicate reservations.

In all cases, do not hesitate to take photos of the damaged and/or opened cardboard. You may think, for any reason, that the item inside the cardboard remains in perfect condition, despite the damaged package, sufficiently (it is up to you to determine upon inspection), and/or opened, even partially, and thus that you do not request to make reservations, or that you accept the package if making reservations is not possible; but know that this is akin to playing Russian roulette since delivery services rely on the factor of error, which by the way suits them well since, I repeat, the insurance is then not effective due to damage because of the sacred transfer of responsibility from the deliverer to the sender or the recipient; less expense for them since they will not have to pay the insurance amount! And do not count on a "shake" of the package to determine if the item is broken; unless it is glass or ceramic the sound of breakage is imperceptible, or it may be a protective element in the package.

Make sure to communicate all these details in case a third party is retrieving the package on your behalf. If, on the other hand, the condition of the returned item differs from the condition it was in when I sent it, but no evidence allows determining that the delivery personnel are responsible, then there will be no refund, for the reason that even with excellent packaging it can happen that not only the shocks during transport are extremely significant but also that this occurs without external damage, that is to say, on the cardboard. Things that may not have happened during the initial shipment, and that could perhaps have been avoided if the buyer had retrieved the package and thus prevented a second transport, theoretically involving twice the risk for the item. If you have any questions or would like more photos, please feel free to let me know.