Claude Michel Hamon Duplessis (Versailles, 18th century), Pair of paintings with knights

Claude Michel Hamon Duplessis (active in Versailles from 1791 to 1799) Signed one lower right, the other lower left 'M. h. Duplessis' Pair of paintings Knight near an inn / Camp with tent and travelers Oil on panel (27 x 37 cm - Framed 55 x 45 cm.) Provenance: Christie's, Paris, auction of 09/14/2016, lot 50, estimate €6,000 - €8,000 (see details) D25-143 €6,700 request information This is a pair of landscapes with figures of knights and travelers, executed in oil on panel, signed by the painter Claude Michel Hamon Duplessis, who was active mainly in Paris around the second half of the eighteenth century and specifically documented in Versailles from 1790 to 1799. One painting depicts a distinguished knight, wearing a bright red cloak, on a white horse, stopping near an inn: he points with his hand towards a building in the distance, perhaps the place where he is headed, as if asking directions from the woman with the child. The second painting shows two tents in a landscape, one of which, with a crown hanging, is identified as a typical field inn, which served to entertain and resupply knights. In front, three men are unloading provisions from a cart, and to the side, there are empty provision baskets, with farmers and their livestock. The brilliant quality of color, the meticulous and fluid brushwork, the richness of detail, and the smoothness of the pictorial surface of these works, in excellent condition, are typical characteristics of Duplessis' best works; specializing in scenes of this genre, often animated by knights, soldiers, or resting travelers, the artist's style, with an Italianizing taste, is also influenced by Flemish examples, in a blend that was very successful in 18th-century Paris. His works display considerable elegance, and his compositions particularly reflect the influence of Philips Wouwerman (Haarlem, 1619 - 1668), as can be seen by examining the catalog of his works; see, for example, those preserved at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg (cf. B. Schumacher, Philips Wouwermans (1619-1668), the horse painter of the Golden Age, Doornspijk 2006, no. A 459, vol. 2, fig. 72). Works by the painter can be found in the French museums of Besançon (Outskirts of a camp) and Bayeux (On the banks of a Flemish canal). ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: The works are sold complete with two pleasant wooden frames and are accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic sheet. We handle and organize the transportation of purchased works, both within Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers. It is also possible to view the painting in our gallery in Riva del Garda; we will be pleased to welcome you and show you our collection of works. Contact us, without obligation, for any additional information. Follow us also on: INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/galleriacastelbarco/?hl=it FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/galleriacastelbarco/