Atelier de PIERRE PAUL RUBENS (Siegen, 1577 -... Lot n° 22

Nymph and satyr with a basket of grapes, apples, and quinces Flanders, 17th century Panel Old restorations, small scratch at upper right 104.5 x 71 cm This panel is a reproduction of the composition by Rubens and Snyders in the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister in Dresden (fig. 1). Rubens is the great painter of the enjoyment of life, of both carnal and gustatory pleasures. He had an incredible ability to take a classical, mythological subject and bring it down to the human level, notably through the expressions of the eyes, to make it real and anchor it in the earthly domain. This is precisely the role played by the abundant still life in the center of the painting, a virtuoso piece of bravura that gives the scene its realistic character. Expert : Cabinet Turquin