The Portrait of Cornelis van der Geest is a panel painting by Anthony van Dyck from about 1620. The original panel and painting were expanded by other artists. X-rays of the painting revealed the additions. Between 1620 and 1796, the provenance of the painting was not documented.
| Portrait of Cornelis van der Geest | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Cornelis van der Geest | |
| Artist | Anthony van Dyck |
| Year | c. 1620 |
| Medium | Oil on wood |
| Subject | Portrait |
| Dimensions | 37.5 cm (14.8 in) × 32.5 cm (12.8 in)[1] |
| Condition | Restored |
| Location | National Gallery, London |
| Website | National Gallery |
In 1796 the painting was thought to be an image of Flemish diplomat Gaspar Gevartius. In 1864, the painting was purchased by the National Gallery in London as a work attributed to Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens. The National Gallery later determined that it was a painting of Cornelis van der Geest by van Dyck.
Background
editIn about 1620, when the portrait was executed, van Dyck was 21 years old and the subject of the painting, Cornelis van der Geest, was 65. It is one of van Dyck's earliest works but is considered a masterpiece. Van der Geest, a wealthy spice merchant from Antwerp, was an avid art collector and commissioned the painting.[1] He was a prominent figure and patron of the arts.[2]
History
edit.jpg)
The painting is in the main collection of the National Gallery in London.[1] The provenance of the painting begins when the portrait was sold at an auction in 1796. From 1620 to 1796 the ownership of the image was unknown. In 1796 when the painting was offered for sale, it was thought to be an image of Gaspar Gevartius. In 1798 the painting was sold to Julius Angerstein at auction. At the same auction another copy of the painting was sold. When Angerstein put the painting on display in 1815 he displayed it as a work by Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens. In 1824 the painting was purchased by the National Gallery. In 1864 the National Gallery determined that the person in the image was Cornelis van der Geest and the artist was van Dyck.[3]
In 1948, the National Gallery cleaned and skinned the painting of its glazes. In 1950 it was cleaned again. The National Gallery is certain that the head and collar are the work of van Dyck, but they are uncertain about who painted the rest of the image. The painting is considered a "problem painting because of the "skinning" which may have covered over the original work, and the large gap in provenance.[3] The use of X-ray technology has determined that the original painting may have only been the head on a simulated oval frame without the dark background. Parts of the white ruffled neck collar were also executed by a later artist. It is estimated that in the 1630s the oak-wood oval had more wood added to the bottom in order to expand the image into a full bust. The National Gallery determined that this was not done by van Dyck.[1]
Other versions
editThe image has been copied by other artists and there are many other known replicas and copies. Some of the copies were created in the 18th and 19th centuries.[3] In addition there are two known engravings created from the painting. In 1830 British engraver George Thomas Doo created an engraving of the image. The engraving is stored in the Royal Academy of Arts in London.[4] In c. 1835, artist John Rogers also created an engraving of the painting. Rogers titled the engraving "Gevartius" and it is in the collection of the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C..[5]
Description
editThe oil on wood painting is 37.5 cm (14.8 in) × 32.5 cm (12.8 in). The National Gallery's description of the painting is effusive; they referred to the brushwork as "virtuosic". The artist used long brushstrokes, and thick paint in some areas. There is the appearance of glistening water in the subject's eyes which was achieved with the use of white paint.[1] The portrait is of only the head-and-shoulders of van der Geest which allowed the artist to concentrate on the facial features and details of the white ruffled collar on the subject.[2] The painting was executed with a single light source in front and above the subject.[6]
Reception
editIn Steve Holmes's book, Masterworks: Low and Surrounding Countries: Sixteenth to Eighteenth Century Old Master Paintings, Holmes focussed on the artist's skill at painting the eyes. He said Anthony van Dyck captured the eyes of his subject with an "animated brightness".[7] In the book Anthony van Dyck: A Further Study British art historian Lionel Cust describes the painting as "elaborately and carefully constructed, built up and modelled to the extreme point of academic precision".[8]
See also
editReferemces
edit- ^ a b c d e "Anthony van Dyck Portrait of Cornelis van der Geest NG52 National Gallery, London". www.nationalgallery.org.uk. The National Gallery, London. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
- ^ a b Charles, Victoria (1 July 2011). Anthony van Dyck (33 ed.). New York, New Yok: Parkstone International. ISBN 978-1-78042-302-9. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
- ^ a b c Holmes, Steve (1 March 2008). Masterworks: Low and Surrounding Countries : Sixteenth to Eighteenth Century Old Master Paintings. Santa Fe, New Mexico: Rio Grande Trust. pp. 70–73. ISBN 978-0-9718676-2-8. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
- ^ "Portrait of Cornelis van der Geest | Works of Art | RA Collection | Royal Academy of Arts". www.royalacademy.org.uk. Royal Academy of Arts. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
- ^ "Portrait of Cornelis van der Geest". americanhistory.si.edu. National Museum of American History. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
- ^ Lanier, Lee (8 March 2011). Advanced Maya Texturing and Lighting. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN 978-1-118-05967-8. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
- ^ Gritsai, Natalia (6 December 2022). Van Dyck and artworks. New York, New Yok: Parkstone International. p. 64. ISBN 978-1-78310-167-2. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
- ^ Cust, Lionel (1911). Anthony Van Dyck: A Further Study. London, England: Hodder and Stoughton. p. 16. Retrieved 26 May 2024.