Oil on cardboard by Georges Becker, a renowned French painter and disciple of the illustrious artist Jean-Léon Gérôme. A graduate from the Julian Academy of Paris, Becker was invited to Russia by the Romanov Imperial House, where he primarily focused on portraiture and painting on commission for the Imperial family. One of his most notable pieces, "The Coronation of Emperor Alexander III and the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna" from 1888, is currently housed in the State Hermitage.

Oscar Schmitt's "Wine Cellar (1860s)" is a captivating oil on wood masterpiece that portrays a moment frozen in time from the 19th century. Measuring 46 x 38, the piece dives deep into the allure of wine cellars of the era, a theme magnified by the widespread influence of the legend of Faust. The authenticity of the artwork is further corroborated by the signature on its reverse, bearing the name and lifespan of the renowned German genre painter, Oscar Schmitt (1825 – 1871).

This exquisite oil painting by Henri Breard, a renowned French artist born in 1873 in Paris, beautifully captures the essence of still life at the beginning of the 20th century. Breard, having studied at the Acad. Julian in Paris under the tutelage of masters Henri Royer and François Schommer, specialized in portraits, genre paintings, and landscapes. His art has been showcased in various exhibitions, such as at the Paris Salon, where he received an honorable mention in 1934. This particular piece resides at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa and reflects Breard's mastery and keen eye for detail.