Pair of works 'Banquet' and 'Brawl', signed Pieter Angillis (1685 - 1734)

Pieter Angillis (Dunkirk, 1685 - Rennes, Ille-et-Vilaine 1734) Signature: the first signed 'P Angellis F(ecit)', on the base of the stone column in the lower right. a) Banquet with concert / b) Brawl Pair of oil on canvas 50 x 59 cm - in frame: 62 x 72 cm Provenance: Bonhams London, Old Master Paintings 27 April 2016, lot 95, Estimate: 8,000/10,000 Euros https://www.bonhams.com/auction/23252/lot/95 The lively and detailed scenes illustrated in our pair of paintings, representing respectively a cheerful banquet and a brawl that broke out during a card game, bear the signature of Pieter Angillis (Dunkirk, 1685 - Rennes, Ille-et-Vilaine 1734) - 'P Angellis F(ecit)' - a French/Flemish painter of the Baroque and Rococo periods, famed for his genre scenes and city markets. Going into detail, in the first painting we are likely witnessing a banquet or a musical party, a typical subject of 18th-century Flemish art. The group of people are amicably entertaining themselves around a laden table, with a musician in the center playing the lute and addressing the woman leaning against the column. The composition includes typical elements such as food, domestic animals (a dog, a monkey, and a parrot hanging overhead), and a large decorative vase in classical style. The second work, on the other hand, illustrates the agitation of a brawl between two male figures, which likely arose during or after a card game, another common theme in genre painting of the period to represent bourgeois or popular life. In the center, a visibly worried female figure tries to calm the standing man, who is ready to draw his sword, while in the background other characters interact animatedly and to the right a dog agitatedly observes the scene. These are two typical works by Pieter Angellis, whose painting was strongly influenced by his training in his hometown, located in the south of France, as well as by his travels around Europe, first to Antwerp, where he became a master of the Guild of Saint Luke in 1715, then to London for about sixteen years (c. 1719–1728) in the Covent Garden district, to Italy in Rome (1728–1731), and finally to Rennes, in Brittany, where he achieved great success. Thanks to these continuous movements, his style was shaped by a heterogeneous blend of styles, knowing how to combine the Flemish meticulousness of David Teniers the Younger with the French elegance of Antoine Watteau. The intelligent and never banal compositions are reflected in a suggestive theatrical effect, determined above all by a narrative function entrusted to a masterful use of light. As a comparison, we list below some works – drawn from those published in the RKD catalog – with which it is possible to compare the compositional details: 'Elegant company in a palace' dated 1719' and 'Musical company on a terrace'; both show the same dog and the same classical vase, then 'A musical encounter in an elegant setting' with the parrot observing the scene from above, and finally 'Elegant company playing on a terrace, dated 1719', a pendant to the first listed, with the same red drapery surmounting the scene, concealing a stone bas-relief on the back wall. Pieter Angillis, Sotheby's, London, Important British pictures, 2002-06-13, lot number: 4 (imm.1) https://rkd.nl/images/49058 Pieter Angillis, Sotheby's, Master paintings and 19th century European art, 2017-01-27, lot number: 487 (imm.2) https://rkd.nl/images/307378 Pieter Angillis, Christie's, London, Old master pictures, 2006-07-05, lot number: 81 (imm.3) https://rkd.nl/images/192280 Pieter Angillis, Sotheby’s, London, Important British pictures, 2002-06-13, lot 4 (imm.4) https://rkd.nl/images/4906 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: The works are sold complete with 2 antique gilded frames and are accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic sheet. We handle and organize the transport of purchased works, both for Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers. It is also possible to view the painting in the Riva del Garda gallery; we will be happy to welcome you to show you our collection of works. Contact us, without obligation, for any additional information. Follow us also on: https://www.instagram.com/galleriacastelbarco/?hl=it https://www.facebook.com/galleriacastelbarco/