Nicolas Gresly - Young Hunter Negotiates His Catch

This exquisite 18th-century oil painting captures a lively market scene where a young hunter negotiates the sale of his catch with a young woman. Dating to circa 1750, this oil on canvas has been relined and remains in very good condition. It is beautifully framed in a spectacular Louis XV gilt wood and stucco frame, adorned with intricate carvings and a rich interplay of shiny and matte patina.

This painting is a faithful copy of an original work by Gaspard Gresly (1712-1756), a celebrated French painter. The original is now lost or missing, but this remarkable reproduction was created by Nicolas Gresly (1724-1788), Gaspard’s younger brother. Nicolas was both a painter and art dealer who worked in his brother’s studio, meticulously reproducing several of Gaspard’s most renowned paintings. He was also known for his religious commissions, including small altar paintings for the Besançon seminary in 1766.

Gaspard Gresly was born in Isle-sur-le-Doubs, Franche-Comté, in 1712. With no formal artistic training, he developed an innate talent for trompe-l'œil, candlelight effects, portraits, still lifes, and intimate scenes of bourgeois and rural life. His work attracted the patronage of the Count of Caylus, a distinguished Parisian art collector, earning him recognition in both Franche-Comté and Paris. Despite his artistic success, he died in near poverty in Besançon in 1756, at the age of 44. Today, many of his surviving works are housed in the Besançon Museum of Fine Arts.

This piece is an exceptional opportunity for collectors and enthusiasts of 18th-century French art, offering a rare glimpse into the daily life and artistic traditions of the period.

Artist: Nicolas Gresly (1724-1788).
Unsigned.
Medium: Oil on canvas.
Condition: Very good condition.
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.