Nicolas Gresly

Quaint scene representing a young hunter negotiating his catch of birds with a young woman. Circa 1750 oil on canvas, relined. Spectacular Louis XV gilt wood and stucco frame, richly worked with a shiny and matte patina. Very good condition.

Copy of the original painting by Gaspard Gresly, currently lost or missing, made by his younger brother Nicolas Gresly (1724-1788), painter and art dealer, who worked in his brother's studio and made several copies of his most famous paintings. He also produced paintings for the small altars of the Besançon seminary in 1766.

Gaspard Gresly was born in Isle-sur-le-Doubs (Franche-Comté) on January 8, 1712, into a family of Swiss workers employed in a glass factory. He instinctively became a painter and succeeded above all in trompe-l'oeil and candlelight effects. He specialized in portraits with a local flair, still lifes and especially the painting of daily life intimate scenes of the bourgeoisie or wealthy peasant families. Protégé of the Count of Caylus, an illustrious Parisian patron, he quickly acquired a loyal clientele both in Franche-Comté and in Paris. He died in Besançon (Doubs) on February 17, 1756, at the age of 44, in a state of near misery. Most of his surviving paintings are part of the Besançon Museum of Fine Arts collection.

Source: Benezit, Dictionary of Artists; Dictionnaire des Artistes et Ouvriers d'Art de la Franche-Comté, 1912; Archives de France.

Artist: Nicolas Gresly (1724-1788).
Unsigned.
Medium: Oil on canvas.
Condition: Very good condition. Recently restored.
Dimensions: 77 x 62 cm. / 30 ¼ x 24 ½ in.
Frame: 96 x 83 cm. / 37 ¾ x 32 ¾ in. Gilt wood and stucco, very good condition.
Origin: France.