Painting / Late 18th-century French School, Mounted Under Glass, Signed

Late 18th-century French school – Mounted under glass, signed "Haldenwang" – Landscape with ancient ruins

A rare late 18th-century work mounted under glass depicting a vast landscape enlivened by ancient ruins in the style of architectural caprices.

The composition features, in the foreground, a rider on a white horse conversing with a traveler in front of the remains of an ancient building. In the background are a river, a few buildings, and a wooded landscape stretching to the horizon. The sky, filled with clouds in shades of gray, white, and pink, lends a beautiful depth to this poetic scene.

The work was created using the delicate technique of painting on the reverse side of glass,which involves painting on the back of the glass—a process requiring perfect mastery, as each layer is applied in reverse order.

It bears a "Haldenwang" signature in the lower right corner. This signature is likely that of Christian Haldenwang (1770–1831), a famous landscape engraver. In the absence of an expert appraisal, we nevertheless present this work as signed Haldenwang,

The piece is set in an elegant antique stuccoed and gilded wooden frame that perfectly showcases this composition.

A very beautiful decorative work, representative of the taste for idealized landscapes and ancient ruins at the end of the 18th century.

Dimensions:

• Frame: 55 × 45 cm
• Image: 45.5 × 35.5 cm

Condition:
In good overall condition. A few very slight signs of age, which do not detract from the quality of the presentation.