Old Masters Figurative Paintings

English School, circa 1780’s Circle of George Romney (1734-1802) oil painting on canvas, framed framed: 36 x 30 inches canvas: 30 x 25 inches private collectio...

18th Century Italian Portrait Credited to Maria Giovanna Battista Clementi The painting probably depicts a young nobleman of Savoy court ...

Como pueden apreciar, la obra no va firmada, es de autor anónimo Se presenta enmarcada la obra con un marco en madera policromada El estado de la obra es bueno, solo comentar que e...

Dutch/English artist Abraham Hulk the Younger (1851-1922) is most known for landscapes of the British countryside. This work is one of a pair (the second work is also available by s...

Workshop of Jan Brueghel the Younger (1601-1678) & Hendrick van Balen (Antwerp, 1575 – 1632) 17th century Antwerp School The Virgin and Child ...

Antonio Mondino (information from c. 1610 to c. 1626) Title: Mystic Marriage of St Catherine of Alexandria Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions:...

This beautiful Italian 18th Century old masters oil painting on oval canvas with giltwood frame is attributed to Solimena and features a religious scene. In this splendid oval-shaped painting are depicted Saint Dominic...

Portrait of Mr. Gilbert (believed to be the founder of 'Gilberts Charity, Bridgwater, Somerset) English School artist, late 17th/ early 18th century oil...

Cavaliere Paolo Guidotti, also known as il Cavalier Borghese (Lucca, Italy, 1559 - 1629) Title: Salomé and the Baptist Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: without frame 90 x 68.5 cm -...

A. Lion (French, c. 1900) A tryptic depicting the Annunciation flanked by two Saints Signed “A. LION” (to the left of Mary) Oil on board Framed dimensions 23. ½ x 37. ½ in. (60 x 95...

Biblical Figures, Large Gathering around Christ? Dutch Old Master, early 17th century oil painting on wood panel, stuck on velvet backing board velvet board: 27 x 29 inches board: 25.5 x 26 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: good and sound condition, obvious old panel...

Painting Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, this is not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (Issued by the Gallery)

This 18th-century painting, attributed to Christian Wilhelm Ernst Dietrich (1712–1774), depicts a rustic inn interior, a subject frequently explored by Dutch and German genre painter...

Portrait of a Clerical Gentleman Italian artist, mid 18th century Circle of Giovanni Battista Carboni (1725-1790) oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 26 x 22 inches provenance: private c...

This exquisite 18th-century portrait depicts a young girl, delicately rendered in the style of Sir Godfrey Kneller, one of the most celebrated portrait painters of the Baroque period...

Gaspar van den Hoecke (Antwerp, 1585 - 1648) Herod's banquet Early 17th century oil on panel, with gold highlights (in the guise of Salome and in the curtains of the building in the background) 56 x 80 cm. framed 72 x 90 cm. Note: The painting probably dates from an original by Frans II Francken (1581 - 1642), which is shown under the number 0000344789 in the RKD. Valuable oil painting on panel depicting King Herod and the beautiful Jewish princess Salome according to the episode taken from the Gospel of Matthew (14.3-11), which sees her as the protagonist in the story of the martyrdom of John the Baptist. The event shown is a cross between history and legend, a myth faced for centuries by artists in every field: Caravaggio in painting, Oscar Wilde in theater, Richard Strauss...

This lovely painting is a British Old Master late 18th century or early 19th-century oil painting by Thomas Barker of Bath. It is stylistically very similar to his other works of the...

Aftrer Anthony VAN DYCK - maybe Studio (1599, Antwerp – 1641, London) Flemish Double Portrait of George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham (1628-1687) & Lord Francis Villiers (1629-1648) Oil on Canvas 170 x 147 cm Anthony Van Dyck (1599-1641) No painter has done more to define an era than Anthony van Dyck. He spent only seven and a half years of his short life (1599- 1641) in England. He grew up in Antwerp, where his precocious talent was recognised by Peter Paul Rubens, the greatest painter of his age. He worked in Rubens’s studio and imitated his style as a religious artist, painting biblical scenes redolent of the lush piety of the counter-reformation. But soon he was on the move. In 1620, he visited London for a few months, long enough to paint a history picture, The Continence of Scipio, for the royal favourite, George Villiers, Marquess of Buckingham, and a portrait of his other English patron, the great art collector, Thomas Howard, 2nd Earl of Arundel. After a stint in Italy, making imposing portraits of the wealthy aristocracy and sketching and copying works by Titian, he returned to the Spanish Netherlands in 1627, becoming court artist to Archduchess Isabella before departing for The Hague in 1631 to paint the Dutch ruler Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange. Charles I’s invitation in 1632 led Van Dyck back to London where he was knighted, paid an annual salary of £200 and installed in a house in Blackfriars with a special jetty at which the royal barge might tie up when the King was visiting his studio. By this time Van Dyck was recognised as the leading court painter in Europe, with Velazquez at the court of Philip IV of Spain his only rival. He also excelled as a superbly observant painter of children and dogs. Van Dyck’s notoriety in depicting children led to the introduction of groups of children without their parents as a new genre into English painting (amongst other new genres). For the next 300 years, Van Dyck was the major influence on English portraiture. Nearly all the great 18th Century portraitists, from Pompeo Batoni and Allan Ramsay to Thomas Gainsborough and Joshua Reynolds, copied Van Dyck’s costumes, poses and compositions. George Duke of Buckingham & his brother Francis Villiers Painted in 1635, this double portrait was originally commissioned by Charles I, who raised the two brothers after their father, George Villiers, was assassinated in 1628. Together with their sister, Lady Mary Villiers, they enjoyed the King’s favour absolutely. Francis whose absolute ‘inimitable handsomeness’ was noted by Marvell (who was killed in a skirmish near Kingston upon Thames). The young duke who commanded a regiment of horse at the Battle of Worcester, remained closely associated with Charles II, held a number of high offices after the Restoration and was one of the most cynical and brilliant members of the King’s entourage, immortalised as ‘Zimri’ in Dryden’s Absalom and Achitopbel. As a young man he had sold his father’s great collection of pictures in the Spanish Netherlands, many of them to the Archduke Leopold Willhelm. Painted for Charles I and placed near the portrait of their sister in the Gallery at St James’ Palace. The handling of both costumes is very rich, and the heads are very carefully and sensitively worked. That of the younger boy in particular is more solidly built up than the lower part of the figure. A preparatory drawing for the younger boy is in the British Museum. There are copies at, e.g., Highclere Castle...

Giovanni Battista Beinaschi (Fossano, Italy, 1636 - Naples, Italy, 1688) Title: Saint Bartholomew Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: without frame 9...

Joy of Twins Mother is an original painting by the late Prince Twins Seven-Seven. About the Artist Twins Seven-Seven was born Taiwo Olaniyi Oyewale Aitoyeje in Ogidi Ikumu, Nigeria,...

This superb 17th century Dutch Golden Age oil painting has been more recently reattributed to Abraham Begeyn by Dr Marijke C. de Kinkelder formerly of the RKD - Netherlands Institute for Art History. Painted circa 1640 it is an Italianate wooded river landscape with drovers and their herd crossing a river with a watchtower beyond. Begeyn was one of the many 17th-century Dutch and Flemish painters to embrace the Italianate style, populating their decidedly non-Dutch, mountainous landscapes with rustic travellers and picturesque ruins bathed in warm, Mediterranean light. It has Begeyn's characteristic brightly lit cattle and grouping of figures, similar to a comparable painting in the Lichtenstein Princely Collections. The brushwork and details are superb. One can see the influence of his teacher Nicholaes Berchem (1620-1683) and the typical golden glow of the Golden Age painters. This is a stunning 17th century Golden Age oil painting and an excellent example of Begeyn's work. Provenance: With Koetser Gallery, Zurich. Private Collection (Rhine region). Anon. sale, Dorotheum, Vienna, 22 June 2010, lot 357, as by Jacob de Heusch (€18,600). Anon. sale, Christie's South Kensington,18 November 2015, lot 432, as 'Follower of Nicolaes Berchem'; where purchased by the present owner. Note: Begeyn was one of the many 17th-century Dutch and Flemish painters to embrace the Italianate style, populating their decidedly non-Dutch, mountainous landscapes with rustic travellers and picturesque ruins bathed in warm, Mediterranean light. He is thought to have studied under Nicolaes Berchem (1620-1683), a pioneer of this genre of landscape painting, and travelled extensively to Italy, London and later to Germany in 1688, where he lived out his days as court painter to Frederick III, Elector of Brandenburg (later Frederick I, King of Prussia). The present work was previously thought to be the work of Jacob de Heusch (1656-1701), but has been more recently reattributed to Abraham Begeyn by Dr Marijke C. de Kinkelder formerly of the RKD - Netherlands Institute for Art History. A comparable scene, which also includes Begeyn's characteristic brightly lit cattle and a similar figure group, was sold at Christie's Amsterdam, 18 November 2015, lot 110. Another can be found in the Liechtenstein Princely Collections (no.GE 290). Condition. Oil on canvas, image size 21 inches by 18 inches and in good condition. Frame. Housed in a beautiful gilt frame, 28 inches by 25 inches and in good condition. Abraham Begeyn (c. 1637 Leiden - 11 June 1697 Berlin), was a Dutch Golden Age painter. Begeyn was born in Leiden. Though perhaps known mostly for his Italianate landscapes and cattle in the manner of Nicolaes Pietersz Berchem, Begyn was a highly skilled painter active in many genres, who travelled widely. According to the RKD, Begeyn's earliest known work is from 1653, though he was first accepted into the Guild of St. Luke in Leiden in 1655. He stopped paying dues in 1667, because he set off for a trip to Italy. He is registered in Rome and Naples from 1659–1660. In the rampjaar or disaster year, of 1672, he is registered in Amsterdam, and after that he lived in London, where he painted at Ham House, Surrey, together with Willem van de Velde the Younger (1633–1707) and Dirck van Bergen...

Lady Dormer, Mary Browne c. 1592 oil on panel 35 x 29 inches, unframed; 41 x 34.75 inches, inc. frame Inscribed 'Lady Dormore' Mary married Henry Wriothesley, 2nd Earl of Southampton who gave birth to Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton - one of the great figures in Shakespears"s circle and founder of the Virginia company, developers of Virginia USA. Henry Wriothesley, born 6 October 1573 at Cowdray House, Sussex, was the only son of Henry Wriothesley, 2nd Earl of Southampton, by Mary Browne, the only daughter of Anthony Browne, 1st Viscount Montague, and his first wife, Jane Radcliffe.[5] He had two sisters, Jane, who died before 1573, and Mary (c. 1567 – 1607), who in June 1585 married Thomas Arundell, 1st Baron Arundell of Wardour.[6] After his father's death, Southampton's mother married firstly, on 2 May 1595, as his second wife, Sir Thomas Heneage (d. 17 October 1595), Vice-Chamberlain of the Household, and secondly, between 5 November 1598 and 31 January 1599, Sir William Hervey. She died in November 1607.[7] Early life When his father died on 4 October 1581 Southampton inherited the earldom and landed income valued at £1097 6s per annum. His wardship and marriage were sold by the Queen to her kinsman, Charles, Lord Howard of Effingham, for £1000. According to Akrigg, Howard then "entered into some further agreement, of which no documentation can now be found, which transferred to Lord Burghley personally the custody and marriage of the young Earl, but left Howard holding his lands", and late in 1581 or early in 1582 Southampton, then eight years of age, came to live at Cecil House in the Strand.[8] In October 1585, at age twelve, Southampton entered St John's College, Cambridge,[9] graduating M.A. on 6 June 1589.[10] His name was entered at the Gray's Inn legal society before he left the university, and he was admitted on 29 February 1588.[11] On Southampton's 16th birthday, 6 October 1589, Lord Burghley noted Southampton's age in his diary, and by 1590 Burghley was negotiating with Southampton's grandfather, Anthony Browne, 1st Viscount Montague, and Southampton's mother, Mary, for a marriage between Southampton and Lord Burghley's eldest granddaughter, Elizabeth Vere, daughter of Burghley's daughter, Anne Cecil, and Edward de Vere...

This 19th-century oil on panel portrait depicts a Hungarian Rabbi, characterized by his traditional attire and solemn expression. The Rabbi is portrayed with a long, white beard and ...

Andrea De Lione (Naples, Italy, 1610-1685) Title: Venus and Adonis Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: without frame 78 x 102 – with frame 103 x 129 x 6.5 cm Signed on the ruined arch...

Giovanni Giacomo Sementi (Bologna, Italy, 1580 - Rome, Italy, 1636) - Pier Francesco Cittadini (Milan, Italy, 1616 - Bologna, Italy, 1681) Danae Oil on canvas, without frame 119 x 179 cm, with frame 140 x 200 x 12 cm, weight 35 kg Expertise by Professor Giancarlo Sestieri Publications: Carne - la materia dello spirito, exhibition catalogue curated by Father Alessio Geretti, project of the scientific catalogue curated by Father Alessio Geretti, Nicole Pravisani and Giulia Toffoletti, (21 May - 22 October 2023), Illegio, Casa delle Esposizioni, pp. 56-59; Body, Love and Feelings - Works of Ancient Masters from the 16th to the 19th century. In the paintings of Giorgio Baratti private collection, Milan, exhibition catalogue curated by Alessandro Marchi, (27 July - 18 September 2011), San Marino - Historical Centre, pp. 38-39; Giorgio Baratti Collezione. Selezione di opere d’arte antica (Giorgio Baratti Collection. Selection of ancient works of art), curated by Professor Giancarlo Sestieri and with the participation of Professor Andrea Emiliani, Grafiche Veneziane, Venezia 2011, pp. 22-23. It is a gentle and graceful Danae the one portrayed by Giovanni Giacomo Sementi. A painting in which the Milanese painter Pier Francesco Cittadini also collaborated by painting the golden basin filled with flowers to the left of the scene. The work shows various pictorial influences; from the Bolognese Emilian style, to that of Ludovico Carracci (1555 - 1619) and Guido Reni (1575 - 1642), to the Baroque and Roman style. The work features an elegant red drapery which serves as the background to the entire scene, but the real protagonist is the young woman with long red hair who is lying on a bed covered by a white sheet. The girl is naked except for a lapis lazuli blue mantle...

Madonna and Child with Saint John the Baptist and angels Circle of Joos Van Cleve (1485 – 1541) 16th century Antwerp school Oil on oak panel Dimensions: h. 32 cm (13 in.), w. 28.5 cm...

Portrait of a young British Girl, in her white dress with Pink Sash. Choosing to acquire an 18th-century portrait of a young girl by English artist John Russell is an opportunity to...

Pietro Della Vecchia (Venice, Italy, 1603 - Vicenza, Italy, 1678) Title: The Alchemists Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: without frame 73 x 97 cm – with frame 90.4 x 114.3 x 6 cm ...

The Rape of Europa By Peter Sion (Antwerp, 1624-1695) Signed in the lower right corner P. Sion 17th century Antwerp School Oil on copper, dim. h. 53 cm, w. 45 cm Moulded and ebonized...

Pair of large painting oil on canvas with the Wedding Feast of Bacchus and Ariadne scene . Italy 18' century . Amazing landscape background and roman Temple with classical archite...

Wonderful Early 19th-century Still life of different fruits on an earth bank. Very much painted in the same way as George William Sartorius painted his still lives this piece has al...

Amaizing 19' century Roman landscape depicting a part of Villa Borghese with Trinità dei Monti. With a finely carved gilt wood coeval frame. Measurements with frame cm 65 x78 wit...

This exquisite 19th Century Old Master Oil painting depicts Zeus enshrouded and Ganymede, the most beautiful of mortals and a her...

Artist/ School: 18th/ 19th century Continental School, after Murillo Title: Figures eating Grapes Medium: signed oil painting on metal, framed. Size:...

This lovely Dutch Old Master oil painting is attributed to artist Pieter Wouwerman. Painted circa 1660 it is figurative landscape with horseback travellers and their dogs in the foreground approaching ruins on their left. Beyond is a river snakes through the landscape, beneath the fading light of approaching dusk. There are some superb details making this an excellent Dutch Golden Age oil painting...

Adriaen van Stalbemt (Antwerp, 1580-1662) Allegory of Peace and War, circa 1620-1630 Oil on oak panel: h. 49.5 cm, l. 73.2cm (19.29 x 28.74 in) Giltwood ...

This charming 18th century French Old Master oil painting is attributed to circle of Joseph Frans Nollekens. Painted circa 1740 it is described as a fete champetre - a form of entertainment in the 18th century, taking the form of a garden party. They were often elegant affairs and became very popular in 18th French paintings. Antoine Watteau invented the genre, from around 1710 and they were also included as a category in the French Academy. In this painting, several well dressed figures are sat in the foreground by a fountain and statue, being entertained by a musician. Beyond, a wide avenue of trees leads towards a very grand country house with countryside beyond. There is superb detail in the figures and their colourful clothing. The brushwork in the trees and sky is also superb. This is a charming example of an 18th century fete champetre and of a French Old Master oil painting. Provenance. Gloucester estate. Condition. Oil on canvas. Image size 49 inches by 30 inches and in good condition. Frame. Housed in a fine gilt frame, 56 inches by 37 inches and in good condition. Josef Frans Nollekens or Joseph Frans Nollekens (1702–1748)[2] was a Flemish painter who was principally active in England where he is often referred to as "Old Nollekens" to distinguish him from his famous son, the sculptor Joseph Nollekens. He painted conversation pieces, galant companies and fêtes champêtres in the style of Watteau, genre scenes as well as portraits. He was also active as a picture restorer. A fête champêtre was a form of entertainment in the 18th century, taking the form of a garden party. This form of entertainment was particularly practised by the French court, where in the Gardens of Versailles and elsewhere areas of the park were landscaped with follies, pavilions, and temples to accommodate such festivities. The term is a French expression, very literally translating as "party in the fields", meaning a "pastoral festival" or "country feast" and in theory was a simple form of entertainment, perhaps little more than a picnic or informal open air dancing. In practice, especially in the 18th century, the simplicity of the event was often contrived. A fête champêtre was often a very elegant form of entertainment involving on occasions whole orchestras hidden in trees, with guests sometimes in fancy dress. Such events became a popular subject in French 18th-century painting, representing a glamourized aristocratic form of pastoral, with "scenes of well dressed dalliance in a park setting". Antoine Watteau invented the genre, from around 1710, and is its best exponent, imitated by others such as Nicolas Lancret and Jean-Baptiste Pater...

Giovanni Domenico Ferrucci (Fiesole, Italy, 1619 – Lucca, Italy, post 1669) Title: The Death of Cleopatra Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: without frame 85 x 70.7 cm – with frame 10...

Early historical portrait in the style of William Aikman believed to be of David Carnegie, 4th Earl of Northesk, a Scottish peer and politician. The work features the central figure ...

This beautiful painting, due to its very high quality of execution, style and era, can be referred to the great artist Warren Sheppard, who specialized in seascapes. Of great evocati...

Battle Scene is an original old masters' artwork realized in the 18th century. Mixed colored oil painting on canvas. The artwork includes frame: 58 x 90 cm.

Artist/ School: French School, 18th century Title: Classical figures within an interior. Medium: chalk on paper, mounted. Size: drawing: 11.5 x 13.5 inches Provenance:...

Bernardino Detti (Pistoia, Italy, 1498 - 1572) Title: Face of Christ Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: without frame 41 x 32 cm - with frame 47 x 55.5 cm Antique box frame made of solid wood and walnut burl. Publications: unpublished The painting by Bernardino Detti (1498 - 1572) depicts the face of Jesus...

Nicolaes Maes (Dordrecht 1634 - Amsterdam 1693) circle of - Portrait of a Gentleman. 81 x 65 cm unframed, 100.5 x 83.5 cm with frame. Antique oil painting on canvas, in a carved an...

Artist/ School: 17th Century Dutch School Title: Ladies Collecting Flowers Medium: oil painting on panel, framed Oval : 6.75 x 9.25 inches, frame...

A charming image of cherubs cavorting with sheaths of wheat in a woodland setting. Follower of Jean-Honoré Fragonard Cherubs cavorting before a tree Oil on panel 10¾ x 14 inches exc...

Cherubim playing - Giulio Di Sotto Italia 2004 - Oil on canvas cm. 50 x 100 Gold dilded wooden frame available on request. The proposed painting represents two putti playing .. Cle...

Work on cardboard Golden wooden frame 54 x 45 x 4.5 cm

Outstanding Mid 19th century old master "Susanna and the Elders" after Martinelli Brilliant old master painting of Susanna and the Elders. Original oil on canvas. Dimensions 26.5" ...

Topers in Deep Conversation Dutch School, mid 17th entury circle of David Teniers (Dutch 1610-1690) oil on canvas canvas: 8 x 7 inches provenance: private collection, France conditio...

We would like to thank Mr. Nicolas Lesur for confirming the autograph nature of the entire composition after a direct examination of the painting on November 27, 2024. This painting...

This fantastic Flemish 17th century Old Master oil painting is by Thomas Van Apshoven. It was painted circa 1650 and depicts a village with figures outside a tavern, eating, drinking and dancing. Beyond are more dwellings, villagers and animals, all under a blue summer's sky. The detail, brushwork and vibrant colouring are superb. This is an excellent example of Apshoven's work and a typical subject he loved to paint. Provenance. Leominster estate. Wax stamp verso. Condition. Oil on panel, 22 inches by 17 inches and in good condition. Frame. Housed In beautiful gilt frame, 30 inches by 25 inches and in good condition. Thomas van Apshoven (1622– 1664) was a Flemish painter known for his landscapes with peasant scenes and genre scenes in interiors. His genre scenes depict village festivals, the interiors of taverns, village scenes or landscapes with peasants engaged in various activities, singeries, guardroom scenes and laboratories of alchemists. Some still lifes have also been attributed to him. His themes and style are close to that of David Teniers the Younger. He was born on 30 November 1622 in Antwerp as the eldest son of Ferdinand van Apshoven the Elder and Leonora Wijns. His father was a painter who had studied with Adam van Noort and had become a master of the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke in 1596. No paintings by his father are known. His younger brother Ferdinand van Apshoven the Younger became also a successful painter. Thomas studied under his father. Some sources state that he became a pupil of the prominent genre painter David Teniers the Younger. It is more likely, however, that he was an imitator of Teniers. He was registered as a 'wijnmeester' [son of a master] in the Guild of St. Luke of Antwerp in the guild year 1645–1646. He married Barbara Janssens on 22 March 1645. The couple had four children. The godfathers of the children included the painters Victor Wolfvoet...

Enoch Seeman Canvas Size: 30 x 25" (76 x 62cm) Outside Frame Size: 37 x 32" (92 x 80cm) 1694-1744 He was born in Danzig, now Gdansk, Poland, around 1694. His father, also Enoch...

Still life with fishes and oysters is an original oil on canvas realized in the 17th Century by Neapolitan School Master. Impressive in size as well as for its vivid representation o...

This lovely Dutch Old Master oil painting is attributed to artist Pieter Wouwerman. Painted circa 1660 it is figurative landscape with horseback travellers and their dogs in the foreground with ruins on their right. Beyond is a river and hilly landscape, all in the fading light of approaching dusk. There are some superb details making this an excellent Dutch Golden Age oil painting. Provenance: Devonshire estate. Condition. Oil on canvas, 24 inches by 20 inches and in good condition. Frame. Housed in a complementary gilt frame, 31 inches by 27 inches and in good condition. Pieter Wouwerman (1623-1682) was a Dutch Golden Age landscape painter. He was born in Haarlem. According to Arnold Houbraken, a biographer of artists from the Dutch Golden Age, Pieter Wouwerman was the brother of the landscape painters Jan and Philips Wouwerman, who, like his more famous brother, made a living selling Italianate landscapes in the manner of Pieter van Laer...

La obra no va firmada La obra se presenta enmarcada con un marco de la época de la pintura (el marco presenta algunas faltas) Medidas de la obra: 87 cm. de altura x 61 cm. de ancho...

Important English school painting in the style of the great artist Thomas Hudson (Devonshire 1701 - Twickenham 1779) It depicts the portrait of Harry Gray (1715-1768), 4th Earl of St...

Cardinal with missive is an original old master artwork realized in the 17th Century. Mixed colored oil painting on canvas. Provenance: Italy. Avery precoius artwork depicting a ca...

Oil Painting After Sir Peter Lely (1610-1680) Portrait of a Lady Housed in a Lely gold Leaf Frame. Peter Lely: In 1647 he became a member of the Pain...

Remembering the magic of everyday life moments in the art of David Teniers: The art of David Teniers the Younger (1610–1690) coincided with the heyday of the Flemish Baroque and captured a great variety of motifs of his time. In this painting of a seemingly simple peasant scene lies keys to understanding both the imaginative mind of Teniers as well as why this time period produced some of the most iconic works in all of art history.  As indicated by the name, Teniers was more or less born into his profession. As the son of David Teniers the elder, himself a painter who studied under Rubens, the younger David received training in art from a very young age and had no less than three brothers who also became painters. Because of his father’s frequent financial failures that even at times saw him imprisoned, David the younger helped to rescue the family from ruin through painting copies of old masters. Essentially, the young Teniers was confronted with painting as both a passion and creative expression as well as a necessity during difficult times, an experience that would shape much of his capacity and sensitivity in his coming life. Despite the hardships, the talent and determination of Teniers was recognized and quickly expanded his possibilities. He had already spent time in France and possibly also England when he was hired by his father’s former teacher Rubens to help with a prestigious commission with mythological paintings, now considered lost, for Philip IV the king Spain. In 1644–54 Teniers was appointed dean of the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke, manifesting his esteemed position within the artistic community. A few years afterwards he took an important step when relocating to Brussels, where Teniers yet again found new career opportunities that would prove to be very successful. As the keeper of the collections of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm, a role similar to what we now refer to as an art advisor, Teniers purchased hundreds of important artworks that manifested the prominent status of the Archduke’s collection while at the same time providing an unusual access to inspiration and knowledge for Teniers himself. Since he kept on painting during the same time, his creative scope must have seemed almost bewildering in the great variety of images and stories that he surrounded himself with.  Regardless of how glamorous and culturally stimulating the career of Teniers was, he was as open to the charm and existential importance of everyday life as he was to works of great masters and luxurious collectibles. In his impressive repertoire of genres with everything from exquisite royal portraits, interiors, landscapes and history paintings he always added something new and inventive, highlighting the possibilities of art and importance of an experimental and intuitive mind. It is difficult to single out one aspect or genre to summarize his legacy, since it lies much more in the broad virtuosity across many motifs, although he is particularly remembered for farm scenes and meticulously depicted interiors where other paintings and artworks are captured with an astonishing precision. However, the fact that he is still today one of the most known and celebrated names of the Dutch Golden Age is a proof to the magic of his work, which continues to spark dialogue and wonder in the contemporary viewer of his works. The farm boy in the field in this painting, which likely dates to the mature part of his career, is a wonderful entry into the mind of Teniers. In the tightly cropped motif, we see him standing right in the middle of the busy harvest when men, women and everyone capable were sent out in the field to collect the crop that formed the very core of their diet and survival. In the background we see a fresh blue sky interspersed with skillfully painted clouds, some trees reaching their autumnal colours and in the far distance the glimpse of a small church and village. The presence of a church in a landscape, so typical of Dutch art, served both a symbolic and visual function as a representation of faith while at the same time defining scale and distance. In the field, the work is in full action with the farmers spread out in various positions, all in the midst of hard and sweaty labour. While they are portrayed as having nothing else than the work on their mind, our farm boy seems to have his attention directed elsewhere. Standing there with his white, half open shirt, flowy curls and strong, sturdy body; his gaze is directed away, out of the picture and the scythes in his hands. He looks almost smirking, expressed with tremendous subtlety in the slight smile of his lips and big eyes, being just in the middle of losing focus on the work. What is it that steals his attention? What has he seen, or realized, or felt – to break him free of the arduous task of harvesting, if but for a moment? Here starts the wondering and the questions that are the hallmark of a great piece of art. Instead of explicitly locking in the motif in overly clear symbolism Teniers has chosen an open ended, subtle yet striking moment for us to consider. While it of course can be related to numerous other farm scene depictions of this time, and clever usages of gazes and real-life scenes to underscore various moral or symbolic meanings, the painting can be much more of a contemplation than an explanation or illustration. The ordinary nature and understated yet emotionally textured composition of the motif gives greater space for our own reactions and thoughts. Has he seen a pretty farm girl just passing by? Is he fed up with the farm life, joyously dreaming away for a minute, imagining another future? Or is he simply in need of distraction, looking away and ready for anything that can steal his attention? One quality that never seem to have escaped Teniers was that of curiosity. During all of his career he constantly investigated, expanded and experimented with not only the style and technique of painting, but with the vision of art itself. Being credited with more or less introducing farm motifs for a broader audience not only tells us of his ability to understand the demand for different motifs, but the sensitivity to transform seemingly ordinary parts of life into deep aesthetic experiences, far beyond their expected reach. The farm boy in this painting is, of course, exactly that. But with the help of one smirk the entire picture is charged with a different energy, awakening many contrasts and relationships between the calm landscape, the hard work and his own breach of effectivity, holding sharp scythes while thinking or seeing something else. It is no wonder Teniers chose to work with farm scenes as a way of investigating these intricate and delicate plays on expectations and surprises, clarity and ambivalence. It invites us to an appreciation of human everyday life that connects us with the people of 17th century...