Flemish School 17th century - Portrait of an Antwerp Family
Flemish School 17th century
Portrait of an Antwerp Family
Oil on canvas (relined). 134.5 x 159 cm.
A wealthy Flemish bourgeois family presents itself in front of a magnificent curtain that reveals a view of a landscape. The man clenches his fist as a sign of his power. With his other hand, he gently touches the shoulder of his wife, whom he gazes at lovingly. She looks forwards while the daughter grasps her wrist and accepts an apple from her younger brother. He seems to merge with his father's rich black clothing. Connectedness is a central theme in this work, which is expressed through the diverse interactions between the figures.
Everything in this portrait symbolises wealth and prosperity, or the desire for it. The rich clothing decorated with brocade, the jewellery, the red curtain, the apple. The remarkable fountain on the right is decorated with a figure of Diana of Ephesus holding two dolphins spraying water. The mother goddess Diana symbolises fertility. The monumental family portrait is, however, more than just a static portrait intended to symbolise the wealth and desire for recognition of the sitters. It is the portrait of a family in which solidarity and humanity prevail.
The iconographic and compositional basis for the present family portrait are similar paintings by Cornelis de Vos (1584-1651). He worked in Antwerp in the first half of the 17th century at the same time as Rubens and Van Dyck as the third important portraitist. De Vos was the first to depict emotions in a family portrait. Emotional bonds are explored through sublime gestures and symbols. Despite the obvious stylistic affinities between this painting and works by Cornelis de Vos and his circle, it has not yet been possible to attribute it to any particular artist.
Provenance
Belgian private collection.
Bid on this lot
Flemish School 17th century
Portrait of an Antwerp Family
Oil on canvas (relined). 134.5 x 159 cm.
A wealthy Flemish bourgeois family presents itself in front of a magnificent curtain that reveals a view of a landscape. The man clenches his fist as a sign of his power. With his other hand, he gently touches the shoulder of his wife, whom he gazes at lovingly. She looks forwards while the daughter grasps her wrist and accepts an apple from her younger brother. He seems to merge with his father's rich black clothing. Connectedness is a central theme in this work, which is expressed through the diverse interactions between the figures.
Everything in this portrait symbolises wealth and prosperity, or the desire for it. The rich clothing decorated with brocade, the jewellery, the red curtain, the apple. The remarkable fountain on the right is decorated with a figure of Diana of Ephesus holding two dolphins spraying water. The mother goddess Diana symbolises fertility. The monumental family portrait is, however, more than just a static portrait intended to symbolise the wealth and desire for recognition of the sitters. It is the portrait of a family in which solidarity and humanity prevail.
The iconographic and compositional basis for the present family portrait are similar paintings by Cornelis de Vos (1584-1651). He worked in Antwerp in the first half of the 17th century at the same time as Rubens and Van Dyck as the third important portraitist. De Vos was the first to depict emotions in a family portrait. Emotional bonds are explored through sublime gestures and symbols. Despite the obvious stylistic affinities between this painting and works by Cornelis de Vos and his circle, it has not yet been possible to attribute it to any particular artist.
Provenance
Belgian private collection.
