Estimate

30.000 - 50.000

Session 1

24 June 2014

Hammer Price

Description

Oil on canvas
Signed and dated of 1756
258x510 cm

Category

Paintings

Additional Information

“"Pictura”" is depicted holding a palette and brushes, wearing a medallion representing the Empress Maria Theresa, at the time patron of the Royal Academy of Arts of Antwerp.
The men surrounding her are possibly the governors of the Academy - depicted wearing black mantles - and of the Guild of Saint Luke of Antwerp, one of the oldest and most important guilds of Europe.
The artist, at the time head of Saint Luke Guild, is most probably the fourth figure from the left.
Founded in 1663 by David Terniers II, the Academy of Arts of Antwerp was responsible for the maintenance of the quality of the works of art produced, after the principles defined by the Guild.
After 1749, both institutions became under the direct control of the government of Antwerp which appointed the head governor, being the other members artist masters.
According to a small travel guide dated of 1756, Balthasar Beschey was at the time part of the board of governors of the Academy. An extended version of the same guide refers one painting representing “The Allegory of Painting” but by the hand of the Head Governor, Cornelis Lens. Active in the same years, both Lens and Beschey were recognized for different types of painting - Lens much more committed to floral compositions, which may justify a a confusion about the name of the artists and the present painting being the one described on the book.
The collection of the Academy was looted in 1794 by Napoleon and only part of it returned to Antwerp to form the base of the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts.
This was probably the moment that the picture left Antwerp to end up later in Portugal.

Provenance:
Collection of the Torre de Santo António, owned by Conde da Foz and D. Gertrude Emilie Schewetz, wich the contents were sold at auction by Leiria & Nascimento, 1996.
The collection resulted from the collections kept at Grimaldi Palace, Menton and Foz Palace, Lisbon.
The present lot is described as "Madame de Sevigné among the artists and literati of her time" and the provenance attributed to Palácio Foz, Lisbon.