A RARE FAMILLE ROSE 'EUROPEAN-SUBJECT' PLATE AFTER VLEUGHELS Qianlong period, circa 1740-1760 The centre of the dish painted with a large roundel depicting the disrobing cloaked figure of a youthful man approaching a semi-recumbent lady in décolleté dress exposing her breasts and holding the roots of the tree against which she rests with her right hand and fumbling with her right foot for leverage, all set in a landscape with European buildings in the distance, the rim with a thin band of iron-red and gilt spearheads, the reverse plain. 9 3/16in (23.4cm) diam Footnotes: 乾隆時期 約1740-1760年 粉彩描紅描金《讓.德.拉封丹》盤 Published: Cohen & Cohen, Baroque & Roll, Antwerp, 2015, p. 88-89, no. 57 出版： 倫敦Cohen & Cohen古董行，《Baroque & Roll》，安特衛普，2015年，頁88-89，圖版編號57 The subject is taken from an engraving published in Paris 1738, 'Le Villageois qui Cherche son Veau' from 'Contes de La Fontaine' by the French artist Nicolas de Larmessin II, (circa 1638 to 1694), after another French artist Nicolas Vleughels, (1668–1737). In the engraving, a youth secretly watches the proceedings, from the branches of the tree above the reclining décolleté lady. (fig. 1) 'Le Villageois qui Cherche son Veau' translates as 'The villager looking for his calf'. In the tale, the young villager climbs a tree to better see his missing calf, when an amorous couple choose the base of his tree to court. The male lover tells his amoureuse that he can see all that he would ever wish to look upon. Innocently, the villager asks if he can also see his missing calf. Engraved illustrations based on paintings by Boucher, Le Mesle, Vleughels, Pater, Eisen, Lorrain and Lancret were published in 1730 and known as Le Suite de Larmessin. They were later published in book form with Fontaine's text. A plate with the same subject was published by Cohen & Cohen, The Golden Gate Collection, Antwerp, 2018, p. 78, no. 58. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ¤ ¤ Without reserve