Modelled on ADRIAEN BROUWER (Belgium, 1605 - 1638). 20th century "Woman". Oil on canvas. Size:...

Modelled on ADRIAEN BROUWER (Belgium, 1605 - 1638). 20th century "Woman". Oil on canvas. Size: 33 x 28 cm; 52 x 47 cm (frame).

Modelled on ADRIAEN BROUWER (Belgium, 1605 - 1638). 20th century
"Woman".
Oil on canvas.
Size: 33 x 28 cm; 52 x 47 cm (frame).
In this work the author follows the precepts established in the baroque portrait painting, typical of the low landscapes. The short bust can be observed, silhouetted against a neutral background of great darkness, a resource that greatly enhances the flesh tones of the protagonist. Dressed in the Dutch manner with a white scarf and white cloth on her head, her mischievous gaze, accentuated by her smile, is highly reminiscent of Boewer's painting.
Brouwer trained in Holland in the studio of Frans Hals. However, conflicts with his master led the young man to flee to Amsterdam, finally settling permanently in Antwerp in 1931, where he died prematurely only seven years later. Between 1631 and 1632 he became a teacher at the Guild of Saint Luke in Antwerp. Despite his short career, Brouwer was the creator of a new genre of genre within genre painting, namely tavern scenes. His works were chiefly small-format and generally depicted popular, low-life characters, usually drunkards, with a certain violence in their attitudes and behaviour. This type of image allowed Brouwer to experiment with capturing emotions and expressions of pain, fear and other feelings, revealing an interest in human aspects that went beyond the traditional conception of genre painting. Despite his legal and financial problems, Brouwer was a respected painter during his lifetime and in fact both Rubens and Rembrandt acquired some of his works. Today works by Adriaen Brouwer are housed in leading art galleries around the world, including the Louvre in Paris, the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, the Prado in Madrid, the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, the National Gallery in London, the Smithsonian in Washington D.C., the Kunstmuseum in Basel and the Ashmolean in Oxford.