Antique French still life oil painting portrait study of rabbits signed P Rousseau

Antique French still life oil painting portrait study of rabbits signed P Rousseau. French, circa 1880. Oil on panel. Elaborate gilt gesso frame. Signed by the artist, Philip Rousseau. "Philippe François Rousseau (1816–1887) was a French painter who initially exhibited landscapes at the Paris  Salon from 1834, before becoming renowned for his richly detailed still life and animal subjects. Museums displaying works by Philippe Rousseau: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York The National Gallery, London Musée d’Orsay, Paris Musée Magnin, Dijon Bowes Museum, County Durham Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam) Centraal Museum (Utrecht) Louvre Philadelphia Museum of Art Hermitage Museum (St. Petersburg) Size of frame: 17 x 13 inches; Size of panel: 8.5 x 4.5 inches; Size of front painting aperture: 8.25 x 4.25 inches. Weight: 2.1 kg (allow 5 kg volumetric weight once packed). Condition commensurate with age - various superficial marks & scratches and some knocks to and pieces missing from gesso frame but all part of its charm and character. Priced accordingly. This painting is quite sombre and melancholy and, although photographed in daylight, please understand that it is quite dark in reality. This item is obviously delicate and the gesso frame fragile. Therefore, whilst every care will be taken to pack this item extremely well, I cannot guarantee that some pieces of plaster will not become fragmented and dislodged. Please understand this before committing to buy and it will need to be understood that the buyer accepts this risk if having the item delivered by courier. No refunds will be available for this reason nor can the item be returned.