Romantic  scene with travellers before mauritanian gates with distance view of a  antique town (Sevilla?) in Spain. On the back of stretcher there is original indistinctly inscription of the artist in French: " Porte moresque (F)orts de Castro mi...  de L´Espagne.......Bruxelles, 25... 1857  , F.Bossuet" It´s mean in English:  Morescue (old meaning  of Mauritanian ) gates of fort of Castro.

Castro culture   is the archaeologists´ descriptor for the culture of the northwestern part of the Iberian Peninsula (roughly present-day northern Portugal, Galicia, Asturias and northern and western León), from the end of the Bronze Age (9th century BC) until the 1st century AD. The most notable and permanent characteristic of this culture is their walled villages and hill forts, known as castros (from Latin castrum, castle). The area of these villages extends as far as the Cares river  to the east and to the Douro River in the south.

The author of this painting is well renowed and high estimated Belgian architecture painter Francois Antoine Bossuet (1798 Ypern - 1889 Bruessels).  He studied: Tekenschool Ypern, with Jean Joseph Beirens; before 1814 Fine Arts Academy Antwerpen, with Willem Jacob Herreyns. Starting from 1815 in Oostende actively; 1819 joint founder and teacher of the academy voor Teeken EN Bouwkunde, until 1828 secretary of the pilot service. Starting from 1828 lived in Brussels, at the beginning as private-teacher, after 1830 of employees of the navy. From 1832/35 to 1874- teacher of the academy in Brussels (perspective). 1841 in diplomatic order journey to Spain and North Africa. 1863 member of the organizing committee of the Brüssler Salon; Member of theFine Arts Academy in Antwerpen. Honors: 1836 Silver Medall, Salon, Brussels; Komtur of the Leopold medal; 1846 knights of the medal Isabela católica. - As a specialist of city opinions and historical buildings Bossuet brought drawings,  watercolours and oil paintings  of his numerous journeys  (among other things Sepia), of cities and landscapes, frequently on small format, for exemple Arab tower at the Tajo with Toledo, 1851. In minuziös and with traditional manner painted views  are harmoniously embedded the figures. His  work is characterised by accurate perspective and rendition of the materialness as well as warm colour. He was acknowledge as one of the best    representative of Belgian school  of city views, represented however one romant. - realistic view of art and affected several painters. Over the perspective Bossuet published theoretical writings, which were raised with honor provided and to standard works. Pupils: Jean Bapiste van Moer, François Musin, François Xavier Roffiaen.

WORKS:  ANTWERPEN, King Museum  of  preserve arts. BERLIN, Nat. - Gal. BRÜGGE, Groeninge mash. BRUSSELS, Mus.R. of the BA: Abbey St-Amand in Rouen, 1836. - City hall: three city views with opinions of Brussels, 1887-88. - Sted.Mus. GENT, mash. voor preserve Kunsten. HAMBURG, arts center. LEIPZIG, picture gallery . museum of arts LONDON, V.& A. museum. LÜTTICH, museum the BA. OOSTENDE, city Arch. - museum . voor preserve Kunsten. PHILADELPHIA, museum  of art. SHEFFIELD,city art gallery, STUTTGART, State Galery .

Exhibitions:  1989 Brussels, Museum Charlier (Catalog).

Exemples of estimated  prices in auctions:  "View of Rome",89,5 x 124 cm sold in Beaux-Arts on  6.12. 2005 [Lot 1028] for 78.000 Euro (91.872 US$) hammer price;   "View of a spanish town", 65,5 x 89 cm sold in Kunsthaus Lempertz/Germany on 19.05 2007 [Lot 1466] for 25000 € (hammer);  "Travellers resting, Morocco", 48 x 63,2 cm sold in Christie´s London on 16.November 2006 [Lot 73] for 13200 GBP(25000 US$); "A view of Zaragoza", 82,5 x 120,5 cm sold in  Sotheby´s London on 15.11. 2006 [Lot 208] for 21600 GBP (41500 US$); "Figures in the streets of a riverside 63 x 78,5 cm sold in Sotheby´s Amsterdam on 17.100.2006 (Lot 229) for 33600 € (incl.premium).

Literature:  Thieme/Becker Vo4, 1910; Berko, 1981; Flippo 1981; Benezit , 1999.

Inscription: signed on the well  in the left part of the painting, on the back of stretcher - original inscription by the artist in French (see photo) .

Technique: oil on canvas.  Rare mauritanian style original 19 century period gold-plated frame.

Measurements:  unframed 22 1/4" x 15 1/2 " (56,5 x 39,5 cm ), , framed w 33  " x h 26 1/3 " (84 x  67 cm)

Condition: in  very good condition