The straight lines that dominated furniture during the reign of Louis XVI were also present in artwork from the period, as seen on this pair of painted canvas panels. Painted in France, circa 1780, both panels feature a golden oval cartouche surmounting numerous vertical lines of orange and red that vary in thickness. There is a wide horizontal swath of brown at the bottom, followed by two thin lines of blue inside black that border the entire panel, including the slightly arched top. Beneath the arch is a green bow that slots through a loop at the top of each cartouche. The cartouches depict distinct, yet similar scenes of a man clad in red and blue with a black hat. In one illustration, the man walks with a tall walking stick along a beach that is strewn with fallen logs and branches of an unseen tree. Ships can be seen on the horizon, to the right of a rocky island with a tall, green tree next to stone ruins. The other panel shows a man and a woman dressed in brown engaged in conversation on another rocky beach. They are surrounded by trees with thick, green canopies beneath a sun-drenched sky. Our pair of Louis XVI canvas panels can be hung on the wall of just about any room of the house, including a hallway, bedroom, or living room.

CONDITION: Good antique condition. Minor canvas rubs and light buildup in areas, with some touchups. Old patches and restoration to verso. Not rigged for hanging, although the wood stretchers are deep enough to install without wire.