Benjamin Zobel (1762-1830) - Havre de Grace

Benjamin Zobel (1762, Memmingen, Swabia, 1830, London), The depicted work is “The Gate in Havre de Grâce,” an oil on canvas. An elaborate architectural veduta depicting the monumental city gate leading to the former Havre de Grâce, today Le Havre, shown together with a bridge, city buildings, figures, and a vast landscape in the background. Havre de Grace was an ideal city. On the back of the canvas there is a handwritten note in German “Ein Thor von Havre de Grace,” meaning “The Gate in Havre de Grâce,” while at the lower part of the composition there is the signature “B. Zobel.” Benjamin Zobel was born on September 21, 1762, in Memmingen in Swabia, and died on October 24, 1830, in London. He was a German-born artist who, after a stay in Amsterdam, settled in England and linked his activity with the royal court. Sources document his employment by Louis Weltje, the cook-master of the Prince Regent, and his work as a decorator of tables at Windsor Castle. Other sources identify him directly as a decorator at the court of King George III, and among the patrons of his work are George III and the Duke of York. Benjamin Zobel became famous primarily as one of the pioneers and popularizers in England of the remarkable marmotinto technique, which consists of composing images from colored sand, marble dust, and other fine materials fixed to a support. The technique grew out of his experience in creating ephemeral table decorations from colored sugars, sand, and marble dust for the English court. The vast majority of Zobel's works appearing in literature and the antique market are related to sand painting, whereas his oil paintings are decidedly rare on the antique market. Their existence, however, is documented; for example, Christie's notes a signed “B. Zobel” oil on canvas “A Tiger resting under Trees.” The present painting is thus particularly interesting as a potential example of the artist's less typical oil oeuvre. The composition features meticulous architectural detailing, a Romantic view of the old city, and a small figural entourage that animates the scene. The natural network of cracks visible on the painting’s surface and the canvas-and-stretcher construction indicate its historical character, though precise dating requires conservator inspection. The painting represents an intriguing example of Romantic veduta with a historical-architectural character. The painting is in a beautiful ornate gold frame.

Private collection

The shipment will be packed with the greatest care.