Moonlit Harbor View, Giovanni Grevenbroeck (netherlands, C. 1650 – Milan 1699)
Artist: Giovanni Grevenbroeck, Dit Le Solfarolo (pays-bas, Vers 1650 - Milan, Après 1699)
Giovanni Grevenbroeck, known as “il Solfarolo” (Netherlands, c. 1650 – Milan, after 1699)
Moonlit Harbor View
Oil on canvas
70 x 132 cm – Framed 86 x 146 cm.
Critical notes: Expert appraisal by Emilio Negro
We are pleased to present this delightful nocturnal coastal view illuminated by the cool moonlight, set in a fantastical harbor with an almost surreal atmosphere, made all the more captivating by the use of nearly monochromatic tones with a characteristic predominantly brown hue softened by golden highlights.
The seascape is built on a skillful blend of realistic elements and pure fantasy, and is thus characterized by steep cliffs, imaginary buildings, numerous boats, and the presence of many figures engaged in their daily activities. This compositional choice echoes the works of numerous Northern European artists active in Italy during the 17th century —from Pieter Mulier (Cavalier Tempesta) to Adriaen van der Cabel, to name just a couple—who introduced an alternative to classicist landscape painting by combining a realistic vision with details drawn from their imagination.
All these elements—combined with the unmistakable clouds characterized by their typical atmospheric, chromatic, and luminous qualities—allow us to link this painting to the body of work by Giovanni Grevenbroeck (Netherlands, c. 1650 – Milan, after 1699), the founder of the family of painters originally from the Netherlands.
The painting embodies all the stylistic and pictorial characteristics of his works, in one of the favorite subjects of his renowned workshop: the scene set in a fantastical harbor is the most typical of his repertoire, always straddling the line between figurative depiction and caprice.
After completing his apprenticeship in Flanders, Giovanni Grevenbroeck arrived in Italy, specifically in Rome, where he received numerous commissions from prominent noble families, such as the Colonna. His stay in Rome, however, was only a brief interlude in his career, which unfolded largely in Milan, from 1672 onward, where he spent most of his life painting highly successful landscapes and seascapes at dawn and dusk, noted in the inventories of the most important local art galleries of the time.
His numerous compositions, as is also the case with the painting under consideration, evoke the qualities of seventeenth-century Roman landscape painting, enlivened as much by the Northern European examples of Claude Lorrain as by those of central Italy in the style of Salvator Rosa, with the distinctive feature of rendering his harbor scenes as dazzling vistas that rely on light to highlight naturalistic details with his characteristic atmospheric tones.
To confirm the attribution, one need only compare the painting with the majority of his body of work, particularly the seascapes at dawn and dusk in Chateauroux (Musée Bertrand) or, even more so, the Seaports of Alençon (Musée des Beaux-arts et de la Dentelle)—works sometimes attributed to one or the other of his sons, but now traceable to Giovanni thanks to recent research into the prolific output of this active family of 17th-century landscape painters.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The work is set in an antique frame and is sold with a certificate of authenticity and guarantee.
We arrange and organize the shipping of purchased works, both within Italy and internationally, using professional and insured carriers.
You can also view the painting at our gallery in Riva del Garda; we would be delighted to welcome you and show you our collection of works.
Please feel free to contact us, with no obligation, for any additional information.
Follow us on:
INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/galleriacastelbarco/?hl=it
FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/galleriacastelbarco
Moonlit Harbor View
Oil on canvas
70 x 132 cm – Framed 86 x 146 cm.
Critical notes: Expert appraisal by Emilio Negro
We are pleased to present this delightful nocturnal coastal view illuminated by the cool moonlight, set in a fantastical harbor with an almost surreal atmosphere, made all the more captivating by the use of nearly monochromatic tones with a characteristic predominantly brown hue softened by golden highlights.
The seascape is built on a skillful blend of realistic elements and pure fantasy, and is thus characterized by steep cliffs, imaginary buildings, numerous boats, and the presence of many figures engaged in their daily activities. This compositional choice echoes the works of numerous Northern European artists active in Italy during the 17th century —from Pieter Mulier (Cavalier Tempesta) to Adriaen van der Cabel, to name just a couple—who introduced an alternative to classicist landscape painting by combining a realistic vision with details drawn from their imagination.
All these elements—combined with the unmistakable clouds characterized by their typical atmospheric, chromatic, and luminous qualities—allow us to link this painting to the body of work by Giovanni Grevenbroeck (Netherlands, c. 1650 – Milan, after 1699), the founder of the family of painters originally from the Netherlands.
The painting embodies all the stylistic and pictorial characteristics of his works, in one of the favorite subjects of his renowned workshop: the scene set in a fantastical harbor is the most typical of his repertoire, always straddling the line between figurative depiction and caprice.
After completing his apprenticeship in Flanders, Giovanni Grevenbroeck arrived in Italy, specifically in Rome, where he received numerous commissions from prominent noble families, such as the Colonna. His stay in Rome, however, was only a brief interlude in his career, which unfolded largely in Milan, from 1672 onward, where he spent most of his life painting highly successful landscapes and seascapes at dawn and dusk, noted in the inventories of the most important local art galleries of the time.
His numerous compositions, as is also the case with the painting under consideration, evoke the qualities of seventeenth-century Roman landscape painting, enlivened as much by the Northern European examples of Claude Lorrain as by those of central Italy in the style of Salvator Rosa, with the distinctive feature of rendering his harbor scenes as dazzling vistas that rely on light to highlight naturalistic details with his characteristic atmospheric tones.
To confirm the attribution, one need only compare the painting with the majority of his body of work, particularly the seascapes at dawn and dusk in Chateauroux (Musée Bertrand) or, even more so, the Seaports of Alençon (Musée des Beaux-arts et de la Dentelle)—works sometimes attributed to one or the other of his sons, but now traceable to Giovanni thanks to recent research into the prolific output of this active family of 17th-century landscape painters.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The work is set in an antique frame and is sold with a certificate of authenticity and guarantee.
We arrange and organize the shipping of purchased works, both within Italy and internationally, using professional and insured carriers.
You can also view the painting at our gallery in Riva del Garda; we would be delighted to welcome you and show you our collection of works.
Please feel free to contact us, with no obligation, for any additional information.
Follow us on:
INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/galleriacastelbarco/?hl=it
FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/galleriacastelbarco
8 900 €
Period: 17th century
Style: Louis 14th, Regency
Condition: Excellent condition
Material: Oil painting
Width: encadré 146 cm.
Height: encadré 86 cm.
Reference (ID): 1793974
Availability: In stock
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