Attributed to Peter Tillemans (Antwerp 1684-1734 Norton)
Julius Caesar and Cleopatra in the garden of an Egyptian palace
oil on canvas
51.2 x 64.2cm (20 3/16 x 25 1/4in).
oil on canvas
51.2 x 64.2cm (20 3/16 x 25 1/4in).
Estimate:
£4,000 - 6,000
€4,700 - 7,100
US$ 6,100 - 9,100
€4,700 - 7,100
US$ 6,100 - 9,100
Footnotes
- The composition of the present painting would strongly suggest that it relates to a stage set (compare, for example, James Thornhill's pencil designs for Arsinoe, which was performed at Drury Lane in 1705). The specific subject matter would further suggest George Frederick Handel's opera, Giulio Cesare in Egitto which was first performed at the King's Theatre, Haymarket, on 20 February 1724. Interestingly, in 1724-5, Peter Tillemans was appointed joint scene designer at the King's, alongside the Frenchman, Joseph Goupy (see: S. Rosenfeld, Georgian Scene Painters and Scene Painting (Cambridge, 1981), p. 5, figs. 1-5). In the original production the rôle of Caesar was sung by the castrato, Senesino (Francesco Bernardi) and Cleopatra by the soprano, Francesca Cuzzoni.
Category: Fine Art / Old Master Paintings
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Old Master Paintings