After Bartolome Esteban Murillo, Grape and Melon Eaters, Oil on Canvas, Framed

This is a delightful antique Spanish oil on canvas painting after Bartolome' Esteban Murillo, depicting two peasant boys eating grapes and melon, Circa 1780 in date. It features a dog staring at two seated boys while they eat fruit with a basket of fruit in the forground. This lively realist portrait of street urchins constitutes an appealing record of everyday life at that time. This superbly accomplished painting is executed in the style of Murillo's later works where he continued to evolve to the very end. In the last decade of his life, Murillo took Rubens's lesson even closer to heart, during this period his brushwork became looser and more visible than ever before, sometimes even to the point that the canvases appear unfinished. Murillo also reduced his palette to the more sober hues of mauve, grey, brown, and carmine, making his late style more refined than in any previous period. His style of painting the street children of his native Seville was unprecedented. He employed great naturalism, employing a sombre palette and strong chiaroscuro, contrasting lights and darks, and very little background detail. They are caught, like a photographic snapshot, playing or eating, but are very rarely aware of an onlooker. This magnificent painting is housed in its original gilded frame surmounted by a pierced cresting rail of scrolling foliage. It is beautifully executed and as such would make a lovely addition to your collection. Condition: In really excellent condition the painting and frame having been beautifully cleaned, please see photos for confirmation. Dimensions in cm: Height 73 x Width 61 - Painting Height 95 x Width 72 x Depth 6 - Frame