Mattheus Terwesten (the Hague, 1670 - 1757), Young Woman As Allegory Of The Art Of Painting

Mattheus Terwesten (The Hague, 1670 - 1757)
Portrait of a young woman with palette and brushes, as Allegory of the art of Painting

Oil on canvas
160 x 91 cm. - In frame 178 x 107 cm.

This splendid, striking painting shows us a fascinating female figure portrayed full-length and life-size, a young girl easily identifiable as an allegory of the Art of Painting.

A bunch of paintbrushes she clutches in her hands and her palette are the symbols that allude to her role as the personification of the noble art of painting, together with the large canvas at her side.

The charming woman, wearing a dress whose play of transparencies allows a glimpse of 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 her facial features are enhanced by the light that softly highlights her delicate complexion, giving her, together with the deep red drapery that encircles her body, an air of suspended and seductive charm.

Analysis of the canvas allows us to attribute it to the hand of Mattheus Terwesten (The Hague 1670 - 1757), a painter of Flemish origin but who, thanks to his travels in Italy, between Rome (1675 - 1677) and Venice, developed the salient features of his painting by studying the works of Veronese and Tintoretto.

The composition is indebted to Venetian painting, both in terms of subject matter (Titian and Veronese repeatedly depicted female figures of an allegorical nature) and style.

His compositional clarity, imbued with lightness and grace, combined with his attention to light and the luminous chromatic elegance that invests the figure, are in fact elements that particularly characterise his early work, and which we find in our portrait.

We can make convincing comparisons with some of Terwesten's works
- 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 an attractive gilded frame and comes with a certificate of authenticity and descriptive iconographic card.

We take care of and organise the transport of the purchased works, both for Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers.
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