Grisaille marine painting by Abeille is probably by Joseph Abeille

Lyon Presqu'île, from France, sells on 4 October 2015 an "Abeille (French School, 18th century)" grisaille painting of a shipyard, estimated at 4,000 to 5,000 Euro (lot 10).

It is most likely a work by Joseph Abeille (born around 1669, died in Marseille in 1752), who was an official marine painter for the French Navy. I found his work and name first through a sale of one work at Sotheby's in 2014, and then a page from the art dealer Stiebel about the same work. That work, "The Tempest", is clearly by the same artist, but despite being more attractive than the one for sale now, failed to sell at the estimated $10,000 to $15,000. What this means for the value of the one for sale here is unclear, but it certainly is nice to find one more painting by such a little known but quite talented artist, and to put a full name and some history to what is only a signature in the auction catalogue.