!!! Cupboard Door!!!

Amazing cupboard door painted with a scene of street musicians. Indian ink or very diluted oil paint is not easy to define. This procession of three musicians is presented under a “garland of imps” and at the bottom, an audience of heads of characters with very different expressions. It exudes a crazy and intriguing charm. The atypical support suggests that the artist painted directly on a cupboard to pay a hotel or restaurant bill as was common practice in the lives of "rapins" at the time. We think of artists like Granville. The fantasy of the composition and the virtuosity of the line are remarkable. I think a search could be fruitful to identify the author. We can date this work from the 1830s/1850s. This cupboard door comes, according to the sellers of a 1970s auction, from the estate of a 19th century Parisian printer. It is a real curiosity and a true work of art of great originality. The layout is reminiscent of a book frontispiece or even a poster project. Dimensions: 113cm by 74 cm.