I continued my visit along the various exhibit rooms having spent sometime in the Asian Art section, which displayed quite a number of very interesting artifacts.
Silk, velvet and gilded silver threads ceremonial coat (detail) dating back to the Ottoman period - Bukhara, Central Asia - 19th century (left). 17th century velvet cushion- Turkey (Istambul).
Silk hanging (detail) - Japan(19th century).
I then moved into a section exhibiting Religious Art in its various forms. I was particularly impressed with a few ivory diptychs, whose carving was outstandingly meticulous, as well as some Books of Hours with amazingly beautiful handpaintings.
Ivory diptych with the coronation of the Virgen, the washing of the feet, the Crucifixion and the Ascension - Flanders, ca. 1370.
Book of honours of René II, Duke of Loraine - 1471-1479
I then walked through a galery with paintings and amazingly beautiful tapestries until I reached a rather impressive temporary French furniture exhibition with artefacts pertaining to the permanent collection which are not always on display.
Peacock
and cock fighting - Paul de Vos - Flanders - ca. 1630 (left). Peacock
and hunting trophies (detail) - Jan Weenix - Holland - 1708 (right).
Tapestry from the set "Children playing" (The ball game) - Italy, Mantua -1540
Tapestry from the set "Children playin" (Fishing).
Limestone sculpture depicting riding Saint Martin sharing his cloak with a beggar - Loire Valley - 1531.
There were quite a few invaluable
furniture pieces in display, though to be honest it is not necessarily
something that normally draws my attention. Truth be said though, I
ended up photographing many of the ones that I found to beworth looking
at closely (... and there were many, in fact).
The Astronomer - 1777 oil on canvas by Nicholas- Bernard Lépicié.
From there I proceeded towards one of the painting galleries, where many of the paintings in display, some of which I had already seen in temporary exhibitions, caught my attention.
The grand Canal near Rialto bridge - 1780 oil on canvas by Francesco Guardi.
The Giudecca Canal with the Church of Saint Martha - 1770-80 oil on canvas by Francesco Guardi.
Windmills in Holland - 1871 oil on wood painting by Charles-Francois Daubigny.
Autumn landscape - 1848-50 oil on wood painting by Théodore Rousseau.
Les Bretonnes au Pardon - 1887 oil on canvas painting by Pascal-Adolphe-Jean Dagnan- Bouveret.
The willow grove - 1870 oil on canvas painting by Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot
The mirror of Venus - 1877 oil on canvas painting by Sir Edward Burne-Jones
(...)