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XVIIe & XVIIIe Dutch, Flemish, French, German and Italian Master Paintings |
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Cambrai, 1582 - Anvers, 1627
A carnival in a town square
Oil on panel
100.3 x 134.6 cm
William and Bernadette Berger's Collection
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| Louis de CAULLERY Cambrai, 1582 - Anvers, 1627 A carnival in a town square Oil on panel 100.3 x 134.6 cm |
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| Provenance: William and Bernadette Berger's Collection |
| Louis de Caullery was educated by Joos de Momper and influenced by his contact with the school of Fontainebleau, whose delicate style can be seen in his work until the end of his life. Louis de Caullery was accepted as a master in Antwerp in 1602. His paintings show that he travelled to Italy, particularly to Rome, Florence and Venice, but the exact dates of his journey are still unknown. We have a much clearer idea about the facts of his works than of his private life. He was above all a genre painter, painting numerous scenes of open air carnivals, as in this painting, but also bullfights, allegories of the five senses or representations of art collections. The figures’ elegant silhouettes and sophisticated poses are typical of his style. His paintings are often a precious witness of the lifestyle of his contemporaries, and the tasty scenes illustrate the society’s morals. This carnival scene is set against the background of the spacious square of a large Flemish town, the perspective has been rendered with great accuracy. In the middle of the square are numerous figures from all social classes. Caullery represents their gaiety by portraying the figures in many different poses, revealing his sharp sense of humour. The sketchy underdrawing, visible here and there, shows that the artist altered the positions of some figures during the painting process. The sophisticated colour palette of Louis de Caullery was most likely influenced by his journeys to Italy. He used many half-tones and some original colours, such as a yellow-ocre, a Veronese green and a wine-red. We are grateful to Mrs. Reine de Bertier, art historian, registred with the chamber of Experts in Belgium, for confirming the attribution of this painting to Louis de Caullery. This painting will be included in the “catalogue raisonné” of the work of Louis de Caullery, currently being compiled by Mrs. Reine de Bertier.c |
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