J Cristofois is the artist signature in red there below the edge of the table in this exquisite 19th century oil painting. I have not tried to research the artist yet so that will be a fun search for its next owner. A chocolate pot, bowl of fruit and 2 game hens on a kitchen tabletop, ready for the evening's meal. These old paintings of this Nature Morte theme are not really hunting or trophy paintings, though they're wonderful with Black Forest carvings and hunters seek them out. They are very different in theme, really a simple prayer of sorts, in thankfulness for the bounty of Nature which has provided the meal to be prepared. They are paintings which hung in most kitchens, or if one had a dining area, and more typically they went without frame, simply hung or resting on a shelf. I'm always drawn to them, and this one is in from France along with a gorgeous thrill of others mostly painted on board. The stretched canvas is 22" x 17 3/8", ready to hang or be framed.
Very good condition for age and type, you can see it has had a small repair (see the patch from back) which has been done well and is hard to discern on the painting side. There are some marks on the painting's periphery to indicate this one had at one time had a frame. One can see a light press-line from the stretcher boards, but no tears nor distractions of merit for a 19th century painting. Likely mid-1800s, though the painting has not been dated. The stretcher, linen canvas are definitely that old. There aren't really any hints of impressionism here, so I would be very comfortable with a mid-1800s date or slightly earlier. Detail photos show the very adept hand of the artist, confidence in palette and stroke.
