Lot 174

Framed Oil Painting of a Port Scene with the Villa Medici

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Framed Oil Painting of a Port Scene with the Villa Medici

Estimate: $6,500 - $9,500

Starting Bid: $4,750

(0 Bids)

by Rock Island Auction Company
August 21, 2026 9:00 AM CDT
Live Auction
3600 Harwood Road
Bedford, TX, US 76021

Framed Oil Painting of a Port Scene with the Villa Medici After Claude Lorrain Artist: Unknown artist after Claude Lorrain Title: Port Scene with the Villa Medici Year Created: 19th century Medium: Oil on board Canvas Size: 38 x 28 1/4 inches Frame Size: 42 by 32 1/4 inches This remarkable painting is based on the work of Baroque artist Claude Lorrain (aka Le Lorrain, c. 1604-1682), specifically "Port Scene with the Villa Medici" from 1647 from the Palazzo Pitti that has been at the Uffizi in Florence, Italy, since 1773. It also shares similarities in structure and details with Lorrain's other famous seaport paintings such as "Port de Mer au Soleil Couchant" (Seaport at Sunset) from 1639 in the collection at the Louvre and "A Seaport" from 1644 in the National Gallery in the UK. The ships, structures, and lightly clouded sky frame the soft glowing sun on the horizon. The dynamic but tranquil scene is inhabited by numerous figures in a wide variety of attire giving life to the bustling seaport, including merchants trading at the shoreline, fishermen, sailors tending to the rigging of the large vessel on the left, a child with a dog on the right, and onlookers on the balcony to the right. Lorrain (c. 1604-1682) was born as Claude Gellee in the Duchy of Lorraine but moved to Germany and later to Rome where he rose from obscurity to a sought after artist, including the patronage of Pope Urban VIII, various influential cardinals, and King Philip IV of Spain. His clients also included Europeans embarking on the Grand Tour and wealthy patrons from as far as England. His detailed sketches of landscapes and architecture in and around Rome formed the basis of his paintings. He is noted for his deep study of the landscapes and natural lighting, including having “tried by every means to penetrate nature, lying in the fields before the break of day and until night in order to learn to represent very exactly the red morning sky, sunrise and sunset and the evening hours.” In addition to his paintings, he was also a talented draftsman and printmaker. In response to spurious copies of his works being sold by other artists, he assembled his famous "Liber Veritatis" (Book of Truth) featuring drawings of his paintings, including the original this is based on as painting 28. They were later republished in the 18th century and 19th century, and the National Gallery in the UK notes: "Claude exerted considerable influence on landscape artists of the 18th and 19th centuries," including the beloved English Romantic artist Joseph Mallor William Turner (1775-1851) who attempted to outdo Lorrain and directed that two of his paintings be hung beside his as part of his bequest, the largest donation of works of art to the National Gallery.

Manufacturer: None

Model: None

Class: Other

  • Condition: Very fine with distinct imagery, rich colors, light patina, subtle craquelure, and some age and storage related wear on the frame.

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $199 $10
$200 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $25,000