Pieter Angillis, Banquet and Brawl, 1720, Oil on Canvases, Framed, Set of 2

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Description

Pieter angillis (dunkirk, 1685 - rennes, ille-et-vilaine 1734)

signature: the first signed 'p angellis f(ecit)', on the base of the … Read more Pieter angillis (dunkirk, 1685 - rennes, ille-et-vilaine 1734)

signature: the first signed 'p angellis f(ecit)', on the base of the stone column at lower right

a) banquet with concert / b) brawl

pair of oils on canvas
50 x 59 cm - framed: 62 x 72 cm

provenance: bonhams, london, old master paintings, 27 april 2016, lot 95, estimate: €8,000/10,000

the lively and detailed scenes illustrated in our pair of paintings, depicting a cheerful banquet and a brawl that broke out during a card game, respectively, bear the signature of pieter angillis (dunkirk, 1685 - rennes, ille-et-vilaine 1734) - 'p angellis f(ecit)’, french/flemish painter of the baroque and rococo periods, famous for his genre scenes and city markets.

going into detail, the first painting likely depicts a banquet or musical feast, a typical subject of 18th-century flemish art. The group of people is conversing amiably around a lavishly laid table, with a musician in the center playing the lute and addressing the woman leaning against a column. The composition includes typical elements such as food, pets (a dog, a monkey, and a parrot hanging overhead), and a large, decorative vase in classical style.

the second work depicts the excitement of a brawl between two male figures, likely erupting during or after a card game, another common theme in genre painting of the period to depict bourgeois or working-class life. In the center, a visibly worried female figure tries to calm the standing man, ready to draw his sword, while in the background other figures interact animatedly, and on the right, an agitated dog observes the scene.

these are two typical works by pieter angellis, whose painting was strongly influenced both by his education in his hometown in southern france and by his sojourns throughout europe, first in antwerp, where he became a master of the guild of saint luke in 1715, then in london for about sixteen years (c. 1719–1728) in the covent garden neighborhood, then in rome, italy (1728–1731), and finally in rennes, brittany, where he achieved great success.

thanks to these constant travels, his style was shaped by a heterogeneous mix of styles, blending 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.

for comparison, we list below some works—taken 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 showing 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 companion piece to the first listed, with the same red drape draping 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
pieter angillis, sotheby's, master paintings and 19th century european art, 2017-01-27, lot number: 487
pieter angillis, christie's, london, old master pictures, 2006-07-05, lot number: 81
pieter angillis, sotheby's, london, important british pictures, 2002-06-13, lot4

additional information:

the works are sold complete with two antique gilded frames and come with a certificate of authenticity and an iconographic . This piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no
official proof of authenticity,
however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity



issues arising from misattribution See less