Mattheus Terwesten (L'Aia, 1670 - 1757)

Mattheus Terwesten (The Hague, 1670 - 1757) Portrait of a girl with palette and brushes, as an allegory of the art of painting Oil on canvas (160 x 91 cm - Framed 178 x 107 cm) Full details directly on our portal (link) This splendid painting, with a remarkable scenographic impact, shows us a fascinating female figure portrayed full-length and life-size, a young girl easily identifiable as the allegory of the Art of Painting. A bunch of brushes she holds in her hands and her palette are the symbols that allude to the role of personification of the noble art of painting, together with the large canvas at her side. The fascinating woman, wearing a dress whose play of transparencies reveals her breasts, appears accomplished in her delicate femininity but at the same time solid and monumental. Her gaze is lost, turned towards the observer, and the features of her face are enhanced by the light that softly highlights the delicate complexion, conferring on her, together with the intense red drapery that surrounds her body, an air of suspended and seductive charm. The analysis of the canvas allows us to attribute it to the hand of Mattheus Terwesten (The Hague 1670 - 1757), a painter of Flemish origins but who, thanks to his trip to Italy, between Rome (from 1675 to 1677) and Venice, developed the salient characteristics of his painting by studying the works of Veronese and Tintoretto. The composition owes much to Venetian painting, both for the subject matter (Titian and Veronese have repeatedly depicted female figures of an allegorical nature) and for the style. His compositional clarity, full of lightness and grace, combined with the attention to light and the luminous chromatic elegance that invests the figure, are in fact elements that particularly characterize his youthful activity, and which we find in our portrait. We can make convincing comparisons with some works by Terwesten: - Mattheus Terwesten, Allegory of Freedom, dated 1701, Rijksmuseum https://rkd.nl/images/284250 - Mattheus Terwesten, Allegory of Peace, Koninklijk Kabinet van Schilderijen Mauritshuis https://rkd.nl/images/4021 - Mattheus Terwesten, Allegory of Peace, Private collection https://rkd.nl/images/103272 - Mattheus Terwesten, Allegory of Peace, Museum Vlaardingen, https://rkd.nl/images/102139 - Augustinus und Mattheus Terwesten, Dido auf dem Thron mit Dienerschaft, Museum de Fundatie https://www.museumdefundatie.nl/en/18th-century-terwestens-back-at-kasteel-het-nijenhuis/ - Mattheus Terwesten, Allegorical scene depicting peace and prosperity, 1742 Foundation Stichting Snouck van Loosen https://rkd.nl/images/59770 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: The painting is sold complete with a pleasant golden frame and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic card. We take care of and organize the transport of the purchased works, both for Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers. Contact us for any information, we will be happy to answer you. Follow us also on : https://www.instagram.com/galleriacastelbarco/?hl=it https://www.facebook.com/galleriacastelbarco/