CHATSWORTH SUMMER FINE ART SALE 18th & 19th June 2025

93 Fonsie Mealy’s Est. 1934 “Interiors with Music and Song,” (set of three matching paintings), O.O.C., c. 1800, approx. 74cms x 57cms (29” x 22 ½”), in matching gilt frames. (3) Perhaps once part of a larger series, these three canvases depict fashionably-dressed people in interiors, probably in Venice, in the mid eighteenth century. Paintings such as these are described as ‘conversation pieces’ in that they show social interactions within defined cultural contexts, often involving family gatherings. In these three charming works, small groups are shown sitting, standing, and playing music. The scenes are set at night, with the rooms being illuminated by candlelight. In the first, A Musical Soiree, a young woman, accompanied by two musicians, sings while reading from a sheet of music. In the second, The Music Lesson, a child is being taught to play the violin, while in the third the scene is more enigmatic. Provisionally titled The Fortune Teller, it shows a young woman, with two companions, perhaps having her fortune told by an older woman. Each of the paintings shows a moment of social interaction, depicted with a refined grace and elegance. However, spite of their Rococo style, these three works were likely painted later, perhaps in the early nineteenth century. The artist’s style is elegant, but slightly awkward, and the paintings appear to be copies after, or variations on, works by the Venetian artist Pietro Longhi. Longhi specialized in such themes, depicting musical soirees, dancing lessons, people having their portrait painted, and other activities associated with a refined and cultured life. Dr. Peter Murray 2025 €3000 - €4000 789. Circle of Firmin Massot, Geneva (1766-1849) “Family Group,”O.O.C., depicting Mother & Father seated on a chaise longue with infant children in an opulent interior setting, approx. 81cms x 64cms (32” x 25”), in contemporary gilt frame. (1) €2500 - €3500 788. Follower of Pietro Longhi, Venice (1702-1785)