Mid-19th Century Painting "the Invention Of The Art Of Painting"

Elegant oil painting on canvas, housed in a carvedwooden frame gilded with gold leaf. The painting depicts a unique scene, taken from the legend recounted by Pliny the Elder in his "Naturalis Historia," concerning the myth of the invention of the art of painting. Legend has it that the daughter of the potter Butades traced the shadow of her beloved on a wall before his departure on a long journey. The woman, dressed in a peplos and Roman sandals, is intent on painting her lover's shadow on the wall with chalk, while he crouches on the ground and holds her chest. Around them, a glimpse of the pottery workshop can be seen, with a tripod lamp illuminating the scene. This is a painting of great taste and refinement, capable of lending a touch of class and antiquity to any setting. The painting draws inspiration from a famous work by the Flemish painter Joseph-Benoît Suvée, created in 1791, and bears the signature and date of its author, Henri de Planchi, a Belgian painter who painted it in 1850, at the bottom right. The work is therefore attributed to Belgian manufacture in the mid-19th century.

Dimensions: H x W x D 123 x 95 x 6cm; H x W work only 101 x 75cm