1681, Pair Of Paintings Signed Grechetto Da Leone As Govaert G. Van Der Leeuw

1681, Pair of Paintings signed Grechetto da Leone as Govaert G. VAN DER LEEUW
Oil on Canvas
Dimensions: cm W 91 x H 123 x D 6; canvas: cm W 72 x H 103.5

This pair of fine paintings, executed in oil on canvas and framed in 19th-century sculpted and gilded wooden frames, depicts two landscapes featuring cows, sheep, dogs, and figures near villages.
In both compositions, the groups of livestock are shown in the foreground, in an outdoor setting with rocks, small shrubs, roots, a few tall trees and palms, as well as some architectural ruins. In the background, the activity of the villages is vividly depicted, with a bustle of small figures engaged in everyday tasks. In one painting, the lighting of a fire is depicted; in the other, a thunderstorm with flashes of lightning marking the horizon provides the backdrop for large grey clouds that create a strong contrast with the intense blue of the sky. The light produced, strongly theatrical and dusky, envelops the atmosphere in shadows, with only a few bright rays illuminating certain animals, whose golden fur stands out against the brown tones of the scene.
The works are signed and dated "G. Leone fecit 1681." The artist, Govaert Gabriel VAN DER LEEUW (Dordrecht 1645-1688), was a Dutch painter of livestock and landscapes from the Dutch Golden Age, active in the second half of the 17th century. He is also known as Gabriel de Lione, Grechetto da Leone, and Monsù Leone. Van der Leeuw was the son of Bastiaen Govertsz van der Leeuw and Sybilla van Nieuwstadt. He learned to draw from his father, alongside his brother Peter. In 1661, he moved to Amsterdam, where he married the sister of the painter David van der Plaats. He then traveled throughout Europe, visiting Lyon, Paris, and staying at the court of the Savoys for two years, also traveling to Madrid, Rome, and Naples. After a brief return to his homeland, he decided to return to Rome and Naples, where he found the greatest success. It was in Italy that he adopted the nickname "Gabriel de Leone," translating his Dutch surname. In Paris, he was known as "peintre ordinaire du Roi" or "Gabriel de Lyon." His works bear different signatures (gdv leeu or G de Leone), depending on where they were created.
The two works presented here, created during his stay in Italy, fit well into the artist's catalog, reflecting the taste that was widespread throughout Europe in the 17th century but especially appreciated in Rome, exemplified by Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, Rosa da Tivoli, and Johann Heinrich Roos. Van der Leeuw certainly engaged with these artists, finding his own unique artistic expression.
The paintings, in good condition, have been re-canvassed in the 19th century.