FRANÇOIS VERWITT (ca. 1623, Rotterdam - 1691). "Gallant Scene in an Interior. Oil on panel. Signed. With label of the Sala Parés (Barcelona) on the back. Measurements: 62,5 x 88,5 cm; 78,5 x 104 cm (frame). Author belonging to the German Golden Age, he was the son of the painter Adriaan Verwilt of Antwerp and was apprenticed to Cornelius van Poelenburgh (1586-1667) in Utrecht together with Jan van der Lijs, among others. Verwilt became a versatile painter in many genres, including historical, mythical and biblical landscapes, genre works, portraits, still lifes and contemporary interiors of agriculture and middle-class urban life . He is considered part of the "Poelenburch school of landscape painting". His colours range from the style of Poelenburgh in his landscapes to the chiaroscuro of Rembrandt in depictions of contemporary Dutch life. His paintings are represented in many museums, including those in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Haarlem, Budapest, Leningrad, Mainz, Osnabrück, Paris, Vienna and elsewhere. There are no biographies or monographs of his works. This painting brings together the most valued attributes of Flemish painting, which during the Baroque period was able to perpetuate the refined technique of masters such as Van Eyck in the treatment of detail, while at the same time domestic scenes gained in naturalness, as we see in this lively interior. An informal gathering seems to be taking place, a meeting of aristocrats enlivened by the music of violinists. A lady is rehearsing her singing, a servant is pouring wine, a noble couple are exchanging confidences.... The ochre and earthy tones of the room act as a chromatic counterpoint to the gauze and velvet cloaks worn by the guests. The