Lot 248: * PIERRE-JACQUES VOLAIRE TOULON 1729 - CIRCA 1790/1800 ITALY

bears false Vernet signature

A RIVER LANDSCAPE WITH FIGURES FLEEING A BURNING CITY

29 1/4 by 23 5/8 in.; 74.5 by 60 cm.

oil on canvas

Volaire was a native of Toulon and while precise details of his artistic training are unknown, he is documented as having worked with Claude Joseph Vernet on the famous series entitled The Ports de France commissioned by Louis XV and painted between 1753 and 1765.

While Volaire gained notoriety for his landscapes and harbor views it is for depictions of volcanic eruptions and blazes, such as the present composition, for which he became truly famous. His dramatic scenes of fire and light ignited the imaginations of his viewers.