Port View In Moonlight, Giovanni Grevenbroeck (netherlands, C. 1650 - Milan, 1699)

Giovanni Grevenbroeck, called the Solfarolo (Netherlands, c. 1650 - Milan, post 1699)
Port View in Moonlight

Oil on canvas

70 x 132 cm
Framed 86 x 146 cm

Critical apparatus: Expertise by Emilio Negro.

We are pleased to present this pleasing nocturnal coastal view illuminated by the cold light of the moon, and set in a fantastic harbour with an almost surreal atmosphere, made fascinating by the use of almost monochrome hues with characteristic predominantly brown tones softened by golden reflections.

The marina is organised on the skilful juxtaposition of realistic data with others of pure fantasy, and is therefore characterised by steep heights, imaginary constructions, numerous boats and the presence of many characters engaged in their activities. This compositional choice echoes the works of the many northern European artists active in Italy during the 17th century - from Pieter Mulier (the Cavalier Tempesta) to Adriaen van der Cabel to name but a couple - who spread an alternative to classicist Vedutism, juxtaposing the realist vision with details from their imagination.

All of these elements - together with the unmistakable clouds with their typical atmospheric, chromatic and luministic values - allow us to link our painting to the pictorial corpus of Giovanni Grevenbroeck (Netherlands, c. 1650 - Milan, post 1699), the progenitor of the family of painters from the Netherlands.

The painting expresses all the stylistic and pictorial characteristics of his works, in one of the favourite subjects of his famous workshop: the scene set in a fantasy harbour is the most typical of his repertoire, always somewhere between figurative description and caprice.

After his apprenticeship in Flanders, Giovanni Grevenbroeck came to Italy, specifically to Rome, receiving numerous commissions from the great noble families, such as the Colonna. However, his stay in Rome was a brief interlude in his career, which was to take place largely in Milan, from 1672 onwards, where he spent much of his life painting landscapes and seascapes at dawn and dusk to great success, reported in the inventories of the most important local picture galleries of the time.

His numerous compositions evoke, as is also the case in the canvas under examination, the qualities of 17th-century Roman landscape painting, enlivened by both the northern European examples of Claude Lorrain and the central Italian ones in the style of Salvator Rosa, with the particularity of rendering his port views as flamboyant vedute that entrust the luministic component with the task of highlighting naturalistic details with its typical atmospheric intonations.

To convince oneself of the attribution, one only needs to compare the canvas with the majority of his body of paintings, in particular the seascapes at dawn and sunset from 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 other of his sons, but which can be traced back to Giovanni thanks to more recent studies of the prolific work of this active family of 17th-century vedutists.


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The work is completed by an antique frame and is sold with a certificate of authenticity and guarantee.

We take care of and organise the transport of the purchased works, both for Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers.

It is also possible to see the painting in the gallery in Riva del Garda, we will be happy to welcome you to show you our collection of works.

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