Pair of 18th Century French Pastoral Oil Paintings in Original Gilt Frames

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This refined pair of 18th-century French pastoral pendant paintings depicts idyllic rural scenes populated by figures engaged in quiet moments … Read more This refined pair of 18th-century French pastoral pendant paintings depicts idyllic rural scenes populated by figures engaged in quiet moments of daily life. Painted in oil on canvas and dating to circa 1780, each composition reflects the pastoral ideal favored during the late Louis XVI period, combining narrative charm with a soft, atmospheric handling of landscape. One scene portrays two children pausing along a country path, while the companion painting shows a man and woman conversing beside a wheelbarrow, their gestures and stances subtly echoing one another to create a harmonious visual dialogue between the works.
Executed with fine, controlled brushwork in the figures and looser, more impressionistic treatment in the surrounding foliage and skies, the paintings feature a warm, earthy palette softened by silvery, diffused light. The figures are dressed in traditional rural attire, reinforcing their genre subject and period authenticity. The two works are conceived as true pendants, balanced in scale, tone, and composition, and were likely intended for architectural placement as overdoor or panel paintings.
Both canvases remain housed in their original carved and gilt wood frames, richly ornamented with classical moldings and floral detailing. The frames retain a warm, aged gilded patina consistent with their age. The paintings are in good antique condition, with light surface wear and gentle craquelure commensurate with age and use, and no apparent later overpainting visible. Decorative, evocative, and richly atmospheric, this elegant pair would be well suited for installation above doors, flanking a window, or displayed together in a salon, library, or refined country interior.
20.5"W x 13.5"H See less