European school (XIX) - Quattro nature morte di sottobosco nel gusto fiammingo

Fascinating four-panel work composed of four oil paintings on copper plates, depicting rich still lifes of undergrowth brought to life by birds, reptiles and insects, inspired by the refined Baroque taste of 17th-century Flemish and Dutch masters such as Otto Marseus van Schrieck and Abraham Mignon. The works can be attributed to the European school active around the late nineteenth to early twentieth century, an era in which there was a vivid revival for these meticulous, atmospheric compositions.
The series consists of two pairs of sizes perfectly coordinated with each other. The two larger plates measure 30 x 24 cm and form a scenographic pendant: one shows a lively exotic parrot perched on a pumpkin among spikes and golden daisies, while the other depicts a kingfisher beside wildflowers, a nest with eggs, and a green lizard. The two smaller plates measure 24 x 18 cm and develop compositions with interwoven nests, striped pumpkins, snails, lizards, and a rich variety of butterflies and nocturnal moths.
The painting is entirely hand-applied oil on metal copper plates, with dense and well-defined tactile touches that give relief to the birds’ plumage, the petals of the flowers, and the shells of the eggs. On the plate depicting the kingfisher, the hand-painted monogram VR is visible at the bottom, while the other three panels are free of a signature, as is customary for atelier series conceived as a unitary decorative ensemble.
The general state of preservation is good for its time, with a solid metal support and a compact painted film free of long-sealed cracks. For maximum transparency, a horizontal line of abrasion with small pigment losses is noted in the central band of the second 24 x 18 cm plate, in addition to slight warping at the edges of the metal and the natural surface oxidation of the copper on the back, all of which are clearly visible in the accompanying photographs. The remaining three plates are in excellent conservational condition. The lot will be shipped with professional rigid protective packaging to ensure the safeguarding of the plates during transport.