Allegory of Painting, Pierre Charles Trémolières (Cholet, 1703 – Paris, 1739)

Pierre Charles Trémolières (Cholet, 1703 – Paris, 1739)

Allegory of Painting and Drawing

Oil on canvas (86 x 112 cm – In original lacquered frames 122 x 95 cm.)

Work accompanied by expertise of Prof. Emilio Negro

Full details of the work (click HERE)

The painting is well preserved and depicts a refined iconography inspired by cultured classical literary models linked to the myth of Mount Parnassus, the Greek hill on which the Temple of Delphi stood and on which the waters of the famous Castalda spring flowed, dedicated to Apollo and populated by the Muses, a source of inspiration and poetry.

Our canvas depicts one of the legendary deities inspiring creative fervor who, over the centuries, acquired a specific influence in the fields of art and knowledge: in this case, the Allegory of Drawing and Painting is portrayed, seated on clouds among flowers and painting tools (a hand rest, a palette, and brushes), scantily dressed in silk while holding a pencil and a sheet of paper on which she is drawing the sculpted bust of the young woman before her.

The learned subject illustrated and the peculiar dimensions of the painting lead us to presume that it was originally an elegant “overdoor” intended to embellish the wood paneling of the “studiolo” of an ancestral noble palace owned by a literary man who loved music and the arts.

The stylistic characteristics of this Allegory highlight the work of an artist of the French school active in the 18th century, gifted with an elegantly casual creative streak and a successful flair for easel paintings with secular themes. The seductive depiction is indeed inspired by the finest models of similar subjects produced between France and Italy in the mid-18th century: primarily the compositions of the French master Jean-Baptiste van Loo, from whom our Allegory draws its refined style imbued with a joyful theatricality.

Both the type of fluid painting with bright but nuanced colours and the effective scenographic cut in fact refer to the best French and Italian figurative culture of the Age of Enlightenment, and the comparison with the similar works of Pierre Charles Trémolières (Cholet, 1703-Paris, 1739) allows us to connect our painting to the modus operandi of this interesting painter.

A talented scion of a noble family originally from the Loire region, Trémolières was invited to Paris by the Count of Caylus, his close relative, who managed to have him accepted into the prestigious Parisian workshop of Jean-Baptiste Van Loo, allowing him to win the second prize of the prestigious Grand Prix de Rome (1726) and subsequently welcomed into the French Academy in Rome.

After several years of residence in the papal capital, by now famous and established, he was recalled to his homeland where, at the height of his career, he was appointed head of the decorations of the Hôtel de Soubise, one of the most important Parisian residences (now the seat of the French National Archives), alongside other great painters such as François Boucher and Carle Van Loo.

In 1738 he exhibited a beautiful painting 'Hercules and Hebe' at the Paris Salon, which was later destined to adorn the walls of the aforementioned important noble residence, which is still found in the prince's bedroom today.

Pierre-Charles Trémolières, Hercules and Hebe, Paris, Hôtel de Soubise (Prince's room) (fig.1)

These prestigious commissions, together with the pleasantness of his paintings, brought him a deserved fame that made him one of the artists most sought after by the nobles and wealthy Parisian bourgeoisie.

Therefore, to support the proposal put forward, it will be enough to compare our beautiful Allegory, not only with the work just mentioned, but also with others attributed to the French master, works in which the refined stylistic features usually used by Pierre Charles Trémolières similarly stand out.

Among these, for example:

Pierre-Charles Trémolières, Venus with Cupid (Louvre, Paris) (fig.2)
https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010054925

Pierre-Charles Trémolières, Allegory of Comedy (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York) (fig.3)
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/437844

Pierre-Charles Trémolières, Venus holding a bow and quiver and Cupid holding an arrow
(Chritie's 31.01.2023, Old Master Paintings and Sculpture Online, New York) (fig.4)
https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/old-master-paintings-sculpture-online/pierre-charles-tremolieres-…

Pierre-Charles Trémolières, Venus and Cupid (Artcurial, Paris France, November 08, 2011) (fig.5)
https://www.artcurial.com/ventes/1995/lots/31-a

Pierre-Charles Trémolières, The Triumph of Galatea (Tajan Auction, Paris, 12 June 1995) (fig.6)

Pierre-Charles Trémolières, Flora and putto, private collection (fig.7)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The work is completed by a pleasant antique turquoise lacquered wooden frame and is sold with a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic sheet.

We take care of and organize the transport of the purchased works, both for Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers. If you have the desire to see this or other works in person, we will be happy to welcome you to our new gallery in Riva del Garda, in Viale Giuseppe Canella 18. We are waiting for you!

Contact us for any information, we will be happy to answer you.

Follow us also on:

https://www.instagram.com/galleriacastelbarco/?hl=it
https://www.facebook.com/galleriacastelbarco/