Trompe-l’œil Featuring Banknotes, Engravings, And Playing Cards, By Antoine-germain Bevalet
Artist: Antoine-germain Bevalet
Antoine-Germain Bevalet
(Paris, 1779 – 1850)
Trompe-l’œil featuring banknotes, engravings, and a playing card
Pen, brown wash, and watercolor on buff paper mounted on cardboard
27,2 x 21.5 cm
Framed under glass in its original frame
A charming trompe-l’œil by Antoine-Germain Bevalet, a Parisian artist whose works—rare on the market—demonstrate a remarkable mastery of drawing and illusionistic effects.
Against a background of aged paper, the artist skillfully composes an arrangement of carefully layered documents and prints. In the foreground is a numbered complimentary ticket from the Opéra-Comique, partially covered by an open envelope whose flap appears to be detaching from the backing. Behind it appears an engraving depicting King David playing the harp, based on a composition by Dominiquin, while an elegant playing card adorned with a richly costumed jack enlivens the upper part of the composition.
The ensemble is complemented by several scattered pieces of paper and tickets, including a commercial document from Limoges and a color-engraved view depicting a village bustling with figures. The play of shadows, the folds in the paper, and the layering effects create a particularly convincing illusion, inviting the viewer to distinguish each element of this skillful composition.
Very much in vogue at the end of the 18th century and during the first half of the 19th century, trompe-l’œil was a true exercise in virtuosity, allowing the artist to demonstrate his mastery of drawing, perspective, and textural effects. Bevalet follows in this tradition with a refined work in which the evocation of spectacle, travel, commerce, and play paints a true portrait of everyday life in his time.
Works by this artist are rarely seen at public auctions. His botanical drawings are more commonly encountered, while his trompe-l’œil works—which are particularly sought after—appear much more rarely on the market.
A captivating work, both erudite and decorative, emblematic of the Romantic taste for graphic curiosities and optical illusions.
(Paris, 1779 – 1850)
Trompe-l’œil featuring banknotes, engravings, and a playing card
Pen, brown wash, and watercolor on buff paper mounted on cardboard
27,2 x 21.5 cm
Framed under glass in its original frame
A charming trompe-l’œil by Antoine-Germain Bevalet, a Parisian artist whose works—rare on the market—demonstrate a remarkable mastery of drawing and illusionistic effects.
Against a background of aged paper, the artist skillfully composes an arrangement of carefully layered documents and prints. In the foreground is a numbered complimentary ticket from the Opéra-Comique, partially covered by an open envelope whose flap appears to be detaching from the backing. Behind it appears an engraving depicting King David playing the harp, based on a composition by Dominiquin, while an elegant playing card adorned with a richly costumed jack enlivens the upper part of the composition.
The ensemble is complemented by several scattered pieces of paper and tickets, including a commercial document from Limoges and a color-engraved view depicting a village bustling with figures. The play of shadows, the folds in the paper, and the layering effects create a particularly convincing illusion, inviting the viewer to distinguish each element of this skillful composition.
Very much in vogue at the end of the 18th century and during the first half of the 19th century, trompe-l’œil was a true exercise in virtuosity, allowing the artist to demonstrate his mastery of drawing, perspective, and textural effects. Bevalet follows in this tradition with a refined work in which the evocation of spectacle, travel, commerce, and play paints a true portrait of everyday life in his time.
Works by this artist are rarely seen at public auctions. His botanical drawings are more commonly encountered, while his trompe-l’œil works—which are particularly sought after—appear much more rarely on the market.
A captivating work, both erudite and decorative, emblematic of the Romantic taste for graphic curiosities and optical illusions.
1 900 €
Period: 19th century
Style: Louis Philippe, Charles 10th
Condition: Excellent condition
Material: Paper
Width: 21
Height: 27
Reference (ID): 1781083
Availability: In stock
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