345 - CAULLERY, Louis de

CAULLERY, Louis de Caullery, c. 1580 – Antwerp, 1621 Carnival Scene in a Flemish Town Oil on panel. Oak. Paneled composition. H. 54; W. 75.5 cm A student in Antwerp from 1593 under the landscape and figure painter Joos de Momper (1564–1635), Louis de Caullery (or Caulery) was admitted as a Master of the Guild of Saint Luke in 1602. Alongside his religious works—which for a time earned him the title “Master of the Crucifixions” (Pau Museum)—notably his *Adorations of the Shepherds* and *Rest of the Holy Family*, Louis de Caullery left behind an original body of work as a painter of Carnival scenes (Hamburg Museum, c. 1615), banquets, and balls (Rennes Museum), his fanciful views of Venice or Rome (Paris, Musée du Petit Palais), his Allegories of the Seasons, and his Triumphs of Venus or Bacchus. In this Carnival Scene, where gentlemen and elegant ladies mingle with the bourgeoisie, city dwellers, and people from the East, figures clearly inspired by the Commedia dell’Arte can be seen in the foreground. Set back on the right, circling the palace and followed by tambourine players, the figure of Carnival himself, enthroned on his chariot, is likely preparing to face off against the figure of Lent, as in the famous painting by Pieter Bruegel the Elder at the Vienna Museum. Horsemen brandishing a banner, a drummer beating his drum, a horn blower, and an archer attempting to hit a doll perched atop a facade complete this extraordinary carnival scene, teeming with figures, rendered with a lively and confident brushstroke, drawing constantly on a typically Flemish palette of vivid and luminous tones. (See F.C. Legrand, Flemish Genre Painters of the 17th Century. Louis de Caulery, pp. 76– 84. — Brussels, 1963). Expert: Patrice Dubois Expert in Old Master Paintings & Drawings Member of the French Union of Professional Experts in Works of Art and Collectibles.