Superbly decorative & attractive original Victorian oil painting on a wooden panel by renowned Belgian artist, Francois Van Severdonck.
Entitled "The Dairy Dog Cart" the painting depicts a large dog harnessed to a green painted cart, the cart laden with produce from the local dairy, large gilded milk containers & a wheel of cheese, the owner's red tunic draped over the cart. The dog cart is illustrated in open countryside in front of a threatening sky. As with all work by Francois Van Severdonck, the subject matter is painted with great detail & realism.
The painting is clearly signed "Francois Van Severdonck" to the bottom left of the painting with the obverse hand-painted with the artist's Certificate of Originality. This reads:
"Je soussigne declare que le tableau ci-contre representant Chien et Chariotte de Laitiere (Dairy Dog Cart) est peint par moi, Francois Van Severdonck".
The painting is framed within its original quality gilded frame bearing a plaque "VAN SEVERDONCK".
Outer Dimensions of Frame: 460 mm x 360 mm. Dimensions of Painting: 350 mm x 250 mm.
NOTE: The subject matter of the painting is quite unusual for the artist whose compositions usually consisted of sheep, horses & chickens within a landscape.
Francois Van Severdonck (1809 - 1889): Sometimes referred to as "Franz", Francois was a noted Belgian painter, born in Brussels where he lived & worked throughout his life. His usually small - medium sized depictions are highly sought-after collectable items in the international art market with examples sold in the USA in excess of $10,000. Please research to confirm.
He clearly signed his work both front & back in the manner of this original artwork for sale. Francois was active throughout his adult life with his earliest observed work dated 1833 which he painted when he was 24 years old. His latest observed work is dated 1889, the year of his death, aged 80. Most of his work is dated from the 1860s - 1880s.
Francois mainly used oil on board made from high quality French walnut or mahogany. He used predominantly 3 board sizes and was consistent with these sizes throughout his career. They were always beveled towards the edges as in the example for sale.
He was renowned for his detail and realism. Lately some of his work has been commercialised with modern printing on posters, canvasses and even shower curtains.
NOTE: Genuine original work by Francois Van Severdonck can be distinguished from potential copies if they feature the above points i.e. Signed Francois or occasionally "F" van Severdonck to the front, usually bottom left. Hand-signed & hand painted Certificate of Authenticity to the obverse in the manner & style of the painting for sale. Painted on quality board in French walnut or mahogany with the board beveled to the edges as in the example for sale.
Dog Cart Subject: Many people will never have seen an image of a dog cart before as they are part of a long gone era, a real piece of social history. As can be seen from the image in the painting, a large dog was harnessed to a cart which was then used to deliver goods to customers, usually in towns & cities. Again, as depicted in the painting, local dairies would commonly use dog carts to deliver milk, cheese & other goods straight from the dairy to customer's homes.
Dog carts were banned in London in 1840 as it was assumed they were cruel to dogs but continued to be popular in the low countries into the 20th century. At the time of the painting, dog carts would have still been a common sight in the streets and countryside of Belgium where the artist was based.
Summary: As can be seen from the photos the painting for sale is highly decorative with an unusual subject, painted in the typically realistic style of the popular Belgian artist, Francois Van Severdonck. Good luck!