Oil on copper, in a carved and gilded wooden frame.

Monogrammed lower right: «PC».

A Flemish painter active in the second half of the 17th century, Pauwels Casteels trained within the Antwerp tradition, distinguished by a firm command of draughtsmanship and a controlled, vivid palette. His output includes historical and biblical subjects treated in a narrative language indebted to Rubens, with close attention to expression and figural dynamism. The painting depicts the biblical episode of David brought before King Saul, as recounted in the First Book of Samuel. The scene unfolds within a scenographic architectural interior, with columns and vaulted ceilings lending depth and solemnity to the setting. Saul, enthroned and draped in a red mantle, is caught in a gesture of indignation or agitation, while David, young and clad in light garments at the centre of the composition, is surrounded by a crowd of armoured soldiers and courtiers. The lively, differentiated gestures of the figures reveal a confident handling of dramatic tension. The technique of painting on copper, typical of Flemish work of the period, allows for a particularly sharp rendering of detail — from the metallic armour to the fabrics. Noteworthy are the dimensions of the plate, unusually large for this support, making the work a rare example within the tradition of 17th-century copper painting.

Condition report: Good state of conservation of the painted surface. A slight warping of the copper plate is noted, common in metal supports of comparable age.

Oil on copper, in a carved and gilded wooden frame.

Monogrammed lower right: «PC».

A Flemish painter active in the second half of the 17th century, Pauwels Casteels trained within the Antwerp tradition, distinguished by a firm command of draughtsmanship and a controlled, vivid palette. His output includes historical and biblical subjects treated in a narrative language indebted to Rubens, with close attention to expression and figural dynamism. The painting depicts the triumph of David following his victory over Goliath, as recounted in the First Book of Samuel. The scene unfolds outdoors, with architectural ruins on the left and an open landscape in the background, animated by trees and a cloudy sky. At the centre of the composition, David advances playing the harp, surrounded by a festive crowd of women, musicians and townspeople celebrating the victory. In the foreground, a figure carries the head of Goliath, while on the right the military procession — with armoured soldiers and the chariot of King Saul — closes the triumphal cortège. The vivid palette, dominated by harmonies of yellow, blue and red, and the variety of human types depicted reveal the same hand as the pendant. The technique of painting on copper, in a format unusually large for this support, allows for a sharp rendering of detail and excellent preservation of the original chromatic quality.

Condition report: Good state of conservation of the painted surface. A slight warping of the copper plate is noted, common in metal supports of comparable age.

Oil on canvas, in a carved and gilded wooden frame.

The painting depicts the interior of a barrel-vaulted cellar with three figures engaged in harvest activities: in the foreground, a young man in a white shirt carries a copper vessel and steadies a wooden pole together with a second worker; in the background, a third figure tends to the large casks. On a small table to the left, copper vessels and a white ceramic jug are arranged. The scene, built on a brown and earth-toned palette, reflects a familiarity with the Northern and Flemish genre painting tradition as received through eighteenth-century Italian painting.

Condition report: Lined canvas. Good condition of the painted surface; varnish oxidation noted.

Oil on canvas, in a carved wood frame.

The painting depicts a genre scene set in an interior, with a young fruit seller alongside a seated child. The composition is organized around an abundance of fruits arranged in the foreground — baskets of peaches, grapes, figs, sliced watermelon, and citrus fruits — whose chromatic richness recalls the still-life tradition of the Flemish and Lombard seventeenth century, here reinterpreted in the taste of eighteenth-century Italian painting. The female figure, animated in gesture and expression, and the child eating a piece of fruit introduce a popular narrative note characteristic of the genre painting of the period.

Condition report: Relined canvas. Good condition of the pictorial surface, with signs of oxidation and aging.

Oil on canvas, in carved and gilded wooden frame.

This still life reflects the enduring influence of Flemish and Lombard Baroque tradition in nineteenth-century Italian painting. The composition features a broad array of fruits, white and dark grapes, peaches, plums, open pomegranates, and a large melon, arranged on a surface with a basket at the centre, against a dark background with a faint reddish sky. The compositional structure and chromatic approach are rooted in the naturalist Baroque tradition, as interpreted through nineteenth-century Italian painting culture.

Condition report: Original canvas. Good overall condition of the painted surface; some traces of wear and minor surface abrasions are present.

Oil on canvas, in carved and gilded wooden frame.

The painting depicts a bouquet of red and orange flowers arranged in a green cylindrical ceramic vase, against a background painted to simulate the weave of a canvas. The naturalistic composition belongs to the tradition of floral still life from the late nineteenth century, with careful rendering of the petals and foliage. The back of the canvas bears a London supplier’s stamp, suggesting a probable British origin for the work.

Condition report: Original canvas. Good state of conservation of the pictorial surface.

Oil on canvas, unframed.

Signed lower left: «Lilian Harrison».

The composition depicts a group of Highland cattle gathered on the shore of a mountain loch, set against a Scottish Highland landscape. Ridges of hills recede into a cloudy sky in the background, while in the foreground four long-haired, wide-horned cattle stand on the grassy bank among heather, rushes, and wild vegetation, rendered with loose, confident brushwork. The work belongs to the Victorian tradition of Scottish animal and landscape painting, with close attention to northern light and the characteristic appearance of the Highland breed.

Condition report: Original canvas. Good overall condition of the painted surface.

Oil on canvas, unframed.

Signed lower left: “H. Hall.” Autograph inscription on the reverse: “A Highland Family – H. R. Hall.”

Henry Robinson Hall fu pittore vittoriano ed edoardiano, attivo principalmente nel genere del paesaggio scozzese con animali. Espose alla Royal Academy, alla Royal Society of Artists e alla Royal Scottish Academy, e le sue opere figurano nelle collezioni di numerose istituzioni pubbliche britanniche, tra cui il National Collection, l’Atkinson Art Gallery e l’Oldham Gallery. Il dipinto raffigura un gruppo di ovini — un ariete in piedi e due pecore distese con un agnello — su un pendio erboso prospiciente un lago di montagna. Le vette rocciose delle Highlands sullo sfondo, avvolte in una luce nebbiosa e diffusa, rimandano all’atmosfera tipica della pittura scozzese vittoriana. La resa del vello degli animali, condotta con pennellate dense e materiche, rivela la padronanza del genere animalistico che contraddistingue la produzione dell’artista.

Condition report: Tela originale. Buono stato di conservazione della superficie pittorica.

Oil on canvas, in a gilded wooden frame.

Signed lower left: «F. Walters».

Frank Walters was a British painter active between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, known for his depictions of Scottish landscapes and Highland cattle. His work belongs to the tradition of British animal painting that, throughout the nineteenth century, had found its most celebrated exponent in Edwin Landseer, who elevated the Highland cattle motif to a pictorially noble and commercially successful subject. In this painting, three cattle with thick red and tawny coats are depicted on the bank of a mountain lake, set against an autumnal landscape dominated by cloudy skies and mountain masses rendered with confident, impastoed brushwork. The diffuse light filtering through the clouds animates the water’s surface and lends the scene the melancholic, contemplative atmosphere characteristic of Romantic painting of northern subjects.

Condition report: Original canvas. Good condition of the painted surface, with signs of aging and wear.

Oil on canvas, in a gilded wooden frame.

Signed lower right: «F. Walters».

Frank Walters was a British painter active between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, known for his depictions of Scottish landscapes and Highland cattle. His work belongs to the tradition of British animal painting that, throughout the nineteenth century, had found its most celebrated exponent in Edwin Landseer. In this painting, three cattle with thick reddish coats are depicted on the bank of a mountain lake at dusk: the warm golden light of the setting sun envelops the entire composition, from the rocky peak in the background to the still water surface in the foreground, lending the scene an evocative and intimate atmosphere. The rendering of the animals’ coats and the reflections on the water reveals a confident technique and assured handling of raking light.

Condition report: Original canvas. Good condition of the painted surface.

Lacquered and painted wood throughout.

The frame is entirely decorated with a faux red marble finish, achieved through a painted technique simulating the veining and mottling typical of antique red marbles. The marbling technique, widespread in Italy throughout the Baroque among both framemakers and interior decorators, allowed refined visual effects to be achieved at moderate cost, and was extensively applied to frames, boiseries and furnishings. The colour range, combining tones of red, beige and black, gives the frame a strong decorative presence.

Condition report: Generally good state of preservation. The surface shows minor losses and wear to the painted layer consistent with the age of the piece.

Carved, lacquered and painted wood throughout.

The frame is of cassetta form, with a gilded half-leaf rebate opening onto a central band painted to simulate verde alpi marble. The outer profile, carved with fusaroles and beading, completes the composition. The technique of marbling on carved frames is well documented in 17th century Italian production, particularly in the context of Baroque decoration, where the imitation of precious marbles served to achieve scenographic effects at moderate cost.

Condition report: Generally good state of preservation. The surface shows minor losses and wear to the painted layer consistent with the age of the piece.