A pair of Italian reverse oil paintings on glass after Jan Brueghel I (Brussels 1568-1625 Antwerp), in lacquered and parcel-gilt frames, Venetian, the paintings on glass 17th/18th century, the frames 18th century

in the manner of The Garden of Eden with the Fall of Man and the other The Temptation in the Garden of Eden, within rectangular moulded frames decorated with flowers on an ivory ground

In overall good conserved condition. Very minor scratches, pitting and marks to both panels which are not too noticeable. Some very minor chips to frames as visible from the catalogue photograph.
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NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This extremely rare pair of paintings on glass in Venetian lacquered frames are almost certainly inspired by and an amalgam of `Paradise' landscape paintings by Breughel and in particular is conceived in a vein similar to`The Garden of Eden with the Fall of Man' sold by the 12th Duke of Northumberland and the Trustees of the Northumberland Estates in these Rooms, Old Master Paintings Evening sale, 9th July 2014, lot 19, reproduced here in fig. 1 and also,`The Temptation in the Garden of Eden' now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. 

The aforementioned paintings reflect Jan Bruegel the Elder's landscape tradition of colourful landscapes, a profusion of animals and figures including rich and varied vegetation. The highly detailed depiction of the animals and other figures bears witness to his interest in nature and reveals his encyclopaedic conception of the world. The representation of paradise as
a pictorial theme was extensively exploited by the artist who produced many
versions of it. This type of subject matter became the most famous of all the artist’s works, earning him the sobriquet ‘Paradise Brueghel’.

Brueghel painted his first paradise landscape, the Creation of Adam (Rome, Galleria Doria Pamphilij) in Rome in 1594, when he was in the service of Cardinal Federico Borromeo (1564–1631). The importance of Borromeo’s patronage and influence, which developed into a lifelong friendship with the artist, was to be of crucial importance in the development of Brueghel’s career and of the paradise theme itself. His philosophy provides the religious context within which Jan Brueghel's landscapes of this type would be understood. Nature and its representation in art was to be illustrative of the divine hierarchy, and the magnificence of God perceived through the contemplation of Nature.

The technique of `back ‘painting’ (painting on the back of glass panels), was employed in Italy from the 14<sup>th</sup> century often with silver and gold leaf and later by the English in the 16<sup>th</sup> century. The Dictonarium Polygraphicum, 1735, describes it as `quite contrary to that of limning (miniature painting) or painting on cloth or wood, for in this, the paint being put on one side is plainly visible on the other.’  Reverse painting on glass is an art form consisting of applying paint to a piece of glass and then viewing the image by turning the glass over and looking through the glass at the image.

Whilst paintings on glass often associated with the artist Luca Giordano (1634-1705) are recorded and have appeared at auction over the years, see for example as set of four by his pupil Carlo Garofalo, sold in these Rooms, 10th June 1999, lot 62 (£100,500) and A Tale of Two Cities Venice and Dresden, Sotheby's, London, 9th June 2015, lot 130, paintings on glass after Breughel are extremely rare.

Also see pair of Venetian paintings on glass after Guardi, sold in these Rooms, Piano Nobile, A Collection from an Aristocratic Milanese Palazzo, 5th November 2013, lot 29 (£22,500).