Studio of Jan Brueghel the Younger

Bird Study, a painting on panel by the Studio of Jan Brueghel the Younger

Jan van Haensbergen was a painter of the Dutch Golden Age and a pupil of Cornelius van Poelenburgh (Utrecht 1594 - 1667). The painting we are presenting is inspired by Poelenburgh’s landscapes from his Italian sojourn. The dreamlike atmosphere of this Gathering in antique ruins appealed to us. Against a backdrop of antique ruins, three draped characters (perhaps bathers) are sitting in a circle, greeting a fourth character walking towards them. Their tranquility contrasts with the bustle of the other characters in the background. They constitute a vivid illustration of otium, this leisure time that allows us to realize our full potential. With this Arcadian landscape, Jan van Haensbergen invites us in turn to leave the hustle and bustle of everyday life behind, to take a break, to enjoy the present moment chatting with close friends… 1. Jan van Haensbergen, a landscape and portrait painter of the Dutch Golden Age Jan van Haensbergen was born in 1642 in Gorinchem, a town in southern Holland to the east of Rotterdam. He was a pupil of Cornelius van Poelenburgh, and began by painting landscapes inspired by those of his master, in an Italianate style. Between 1668 and 1669, he was registered at the Guild of Saint Luke in Utrecht. In 1669, he moved to The Hague, where he joined the Confrérie Pictura, an artist society founded in 1656. His portraits, which became his main activity as a painter after settling in The Hague, were strongly influenced by Caspar Netscher (Prague or Heidelberg 1639 - The Hague 1684), whom he met in The Hague and whose son Constantijn became his son-in-law by marrying his daughter Magdalena. In addition to his work as an artist, Van Haensbergen was also an art dealer, probably helped by his appointment as Dean of the Confrérie Pictura, where he also teached. 2. Description of the artwork and related paintings This painting seems to us to be a kind of allegory of otium, that quiet bliss promised by Epicurus. It might even evoke an Epicurean proverb: "It is better to lie on the naked ground and be at ease, than to have a golden carriage and a rich table and be worried" . Three draped young people - two men and a woman in the background - are seated in a circle, greeting a fourth figure walking towards them, hair disheveled and body draped in a towel as if drying off after a bath, indicating the need for prior purification to fully enjoy this rest. Their nonchalance contrasts with the bustle of the various characters in the background. The composition is punctuated by successive diagonals, and opens onto a landscape on the right, with a succession of mountainous planes. This painting is typical of the Italianate works produced by Van Haensbergen in the 1660s under the influence of Cornelis van Poelenburgh...

Provenance: Dukes of Marlborough Collection, Blenheim Palace until its sale at Christie's London on 26 July 1886 (lot 172) English private collection until its sale at Christie's London on 11 December 1992 (lot 363) Erna Weidinger Collection (1923 - 2021) - Austria Literature : Georg Scharf - A list of the pictures in Blenheim Palace - Catalogue raisonné Part 2 - London 1862 (page 166 - number 199 "after Palma Giovane") Charles Davies...

This painting has been the subject of a study by the art historian Fabrizio Dassie (available on request), confirming its inclusion in Jan van Bunnik’s corpus. In this painting, Ja...

We would like to thank Dr. Ursula Härting who, after examining the work, confirmed the autograph nature of this painting by Frans Francken the Younger in a certificate issued on Dece...

Study Of Farm Birds, 17th Century attributed to Melchior DE HONDECOETER (1636-1695) Huge 17th century Dutch Old Master still life of various farm bir...

Follower of Jacob Savery (1566-1603) Concert of Birds 18th-century oil on panel no signature unframed: 42 × 44 cm (16.5 × 17.3 in) framed: 53 × 54 ...

Jef Louis Van LEEMPUTTEN Oil on canvas Painting Size: 14 x 19" (36 x 49cm) Outside Frame Size: 21 x 26" (53 x 66cm) Jef Louis Van Leemputten, or Joseph Louis Van Leemputten, was a...

STILL LIFE WITH BIRDS AND RAISINS, WORKSHOP OF FRANS SNYDERS (1579-1657) An exquisite and attractive work, our painting with its rich and harmonious composition is one of the remarkable examples of the passion of art lovers of the 17th century for still lifes, the genre in full ferment in Antwerp in early 17th century, long before its arrival to Paris in the 1630s & 40s. Our painting presents on an entablature covered with wine-colored velvet cloth, various objects in an artistic arrangement which is intended to be spontaneous. The tight framing, like an extract and the piled up objects suggest a plenitude and an infinite richness of what nature can offer and reinforce the feeling of prosperity. The wicker basket overflowing with translucent bunches of grapes in green and purplish hues with icy reflections dominates the right side of the painting. In the center is the game birds, partridge, snipe, sparrow, pincon and others, each bird with a fine and precise design, transparent plumage, the meticulous rendering of the different beak or leg parts, zebrures and streaks of the down. On the left, two stacked white and blue Chinese...