Circle of Pieter Van Laer, 17th century, Alms Scene

Circle of Pieter Van Laer, 17th century Alms Scene Oil on canvas, 68 x 70 cm Documented in Rome from 1625 to 1638, Pieter Van Laer is one of the young Flemish, Dutch, and German painters who flocked to the capital to specialize in painting. Van Laer, in fact, attempted to merge Caravaggio's profound humanity with the realism of the Nordic tradition, adopting a simpler and more austere tone than the descriptive and caricatured results of the other bamboccianti. Born in Haarlem in 1592, Bamboccio was the nickname given to him in Rome, perhaps because of his round face, flushed from frequenting taverns. He was recognized as the first to initiate a pictorial trend that highlighted episodes from real life. His works, characterized by small size and anecdotal spirit, were called bambocciate. Starting from Caravaggesque models, the author created works characterized by narrative and sketch-like realism. His most famous follower was Michelangelo Cerquozzi. After a stay in Amsterdam, he returned to Holland and retired to Haarlem. The genre scene depicts a character of bourgeois extraction in the act of giving alms to two beggars with his right hand while with his left hand he shows a woman and her child the image of the Virgin. Probably, given the era, the episode is inspired by the actions of Saint Philip Neri. Of Tuscan origin, he lived in Rome at the end of the 16th century and founded the Congregation of the Oratory. He was particularly concerned with children, widows, and the poor in times of famine. The setting features some Roman ruins now incorporated into the vegetation and a piece of landscape in the background. Inevitable is the dog in the lower right corner, a recurring stylistic figure of the author. In the paintings of the current there was never any intention of criticism or social protest while there was instead a more or less veiled mockery of popular customs. Some stylistic comparisons can be made on the painting kept at the Superintendence of Parma and Piacenza, depicting a mother with child in the Roman countryside (see the comparison with our praying child), the one that belonged to a noble collection in Munich representing a beggar sitting in the shade of Roman vestiges and with other works that have appeared on the antiquarian market. Among the characteristics in common with the present paintings of certain matrix must be mentioned the brushstroke with material impasto, the lively naturalism and the taste for dramatic chiaroscuro. The object is in good condition With Ars Antiqua it is possible to defer all amounts up to a maximum of € 7,500 at ZERO RATE, for a total of 15 INSTALLMENTS. Ex. Tot. € 4,500 = Monthly installment € 300 for 15 months. Ex. Tot. € 3,600 = Monthly installment € 720 for 5 months. For amounts higher than € 7,500 or for a longer period of time (over 15 installments), we can provide a customized payment. Contact us directly to have the best quote. LIVE TV – SUNDAY 17.00 – 21.00 Dig.terr. 126 + 809 SKY - THURSDAY 21.00 - 24.00 Dig.terr. 134 + 809 SKY – In streaming on our website www.arsantiquasrl.com and on our social networks Facebook and Youtube All the works proposed by Ars Antiqua are sold with a certificate of authenticity according to law and accurate in-depth sheet. It is possible to see the works directly at the gallery showroom in Milan, in via Pisacane 55 and 57. We personally organize transports and deliveries of the works, both for Italy and abroad.