Ref.3712
Oak panelling painted with ten pictures of hunting scenes by A. Chaintieuil in a house in central France, 1827

The square room is about 239.76 by 239.76 inch and about 139.76 inch high. This panelling from the first half of the 19th century, in its original grey paintwork, features baseboards running the full length of the room. The four walls that make up the panelling are decorated with hunting-themed paintings in lush green colours that contrast with the grey of the wood panelling. The paintings are signed "A. Chaintieuil‘ and dated "1827". On wall A, a rounded alcove on the left (not included in the panelling) and a door on the right, topped by their own transoms, frame a large central panel. The scenes depicted on this panelling indicate the start of a hunting party. The first horsemen and their pack emerge from the doorway of the large residence. A beautiful effect of depth allows the viewer to admire the landscape, which seems endless with greenery and calm. The two small panels in the transoms also show scenes just before the start of the hunt: the dogs have been let loose and the riders are already on their mounts or about to mount them. Opposite wall A, wall B has its structure exactly reversed so that the two sides echo each other. In the central panel, the painter offers us a scene at the bend of a small stream. A horseman sounds his horn during a hunting party, while his canine crew rushes after the prey they have found. On either side of this scene, four riders face each other in a play of symmetry. All the dynamism and intensity of a hunting party are represented in the ardour of the dogs and horses, but also in the different attitudes of the hunters. In the painting on the left, we can make out a house; certainly that of the estate organising this hunt. On side C, between the two walls described above, two doors frame the large central panel. The scenes painted here represent the middle of the hunting party (between the start on wall A and the capture of the prey on wall B). The large panel depicts a water source on the edge of the forest. In the foreground, one of the horsemen is galloping towards his prey, surrounded by four of his dogs. In the frame above the door on the left, we find a herd of magnificent stags in a peaceful setting, while the one on the right shows a she-wolf and her cubs on the banks of a stream. These two compositions give us an idea of the noble fauna that could be found in this lush forest. Lastly, wall D is the only one with only one large painting, but the symmetry and framing are still maintained thanks to the shutters adorning the windows on either side of the central panel. This panel depicts the end of the hunting party. The day is drawing to a close, the hounds have been tied to a tree and the riders, tired but satisfied with their day, gather round a fire by the stretch of water already shown on the opposite wall (Wall C). Boots and horns sit nonchalantly by the fire. In this panelling commissioned in 1827, both the cabinetmaker's and the painter's work show the importance given to the play of symmetry, colour contrasts and the alternation of peaceful, idle scenes in an ideal landscape with scenes that depict all the action and tension of hunting with hounds. The viewer will discover a fine chronological representation of the different stages of a hunting party on this magnificent estate.

Ref.11330
Japanese-style barometer with dragon and Foo dog decoration

This barometer, inspired by the Far East, was produced in the 19th century. Made of richly carved wood, it is decorated with a winged dragon in the upper part and a Foo dog's head in the lower part. The openwork decoration forming geometric interlaces and windings, as well as the pagoda roof shape, contribute to this Japanese-style aesthetic, which is very characteristic of the late 19th century and of the taste for Far Eastern works in Europe following the great World's Fairs of the time.

Ref.10958
Napoleon III style clock, in Sèvres night blue porcelain and gilded bronze

Night blue porcelain from Sèvres and gilded bronze clock, made in the 19th century. Clock with cupids , a white enamelled dial with Roman numerals adorned with an angel, two ram's heads on the sides and two covered vases decorated with gallant scenes. Dial signed "Au vase de Sèvres 15 Bd Montmartre Paris".

Ref.15160
Claude MICHEL, known as CLODION (after), Bacchante, late 19th Century

This marble sculpture of a bacchante was executed in the 19th century after a model attributed to Clodion. The sculptor Claude Michel, known as Clodion (1738-1814), was descended on his mother’s side from the Adam dynasty, a family of renowned sculptors throughout the 18th century. He learned sculpture at the model school of the French Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture; in 1759, upon the death of his uncle Lambert Sigisbert Adam, who probably contributed to his training, he became a student of Jean-Baptiste Pigalle. He was a resident of the Royal School of Protected Students and stayed at the French Academy in Rome. He enjoyed his Roman stay so much that he extended it for several years before returning in 1773-1774. Highly appreciated under the reign of Louis XVI, Clodion had a particular fondness for mythological subjects. Our sculpture represents a young woman walking, holding bunches of grapes in her hand. Her whole body, in a twist, forms an arc: her head is raised to her right while the top of her torso, led by her right arm, turns to her left; finally, her left leg faces the viewer, while her right leg, slightly bent, seems to hold her back on that side. She can be likened to a figure of a maenad or bacchante. Indeed, her exalted expression, flowing hair, dancing gait, and nudity just barely covered by a drape held by a strap bring her closer to this image. Furthermore, she carries bunches of grapes, a quintessential Bacchic symbol, while others have fallen at her feet; an overturned amphora perhaps symbolizes the intemperance characteristic of the Dionysian world. The sculptor paid great attention to the expression of her face, with its fine features, and to detail: the young woman notably wears bracelets on each arm that echo her strap; the amphora at her feet is adorned with a frieze of posts in low relief. In ancient mythology, bacchantes were the priestesses of Bacchus who celebrated Dionysian mysteries and festivals, or the companions of the god, who marched with his retinue. Bacchantes were considered sensual and having an unrestrained sexuality; our sculpture, with its sensuality and dancing character, echoes this reputation. This figure of a bacchante is attributed to Clodion. In fact, the sculptor executed several terracottas on this subject, including one titled Bacchante Running with Fruits in Her Tunic (circa 1780-1785, terracotta, private collection), and another Bacchante Running (between 1803 and 1804, terracotta, 38 × 15 × 18.5 cm, Paris, Cognacq-Jay Museum). Several bronze castings of this statue are known. This material particularly highlights the sensuality of the woman and all the details of the sculpture.