1116 - SWEERTS, MICHIEL

SWEERTS, MICHIEL 1618/24 Brussels–1664 Goa Title: An Elegant Couple Visiting the Shepherds. Date: Around 1650. Technique: Oil on canvas. Dimensions: 72 x 98.5 cm. Verso: On the stretcher, an old, torn-off adhesive label with remnants of an inventory number; and on the frame, a collection label, Naples. Frame: Framed. The Flemish painter Michael (also known as Michiel) Sweerts has only been the subject of intensive research since the 1920s, and to this day, our understanding of his life and his remarkable body of work continues to be revised and expanded. The painting presented here is linked to the very latest findings concerning this artist, who worked in Rome for many years: On the occasion of an exhibition on Michael Sweerts at the Galleria Nazionale di San Luca in Rome, this version of a well-known motif was shown to the public in 2024 for the first time in many years. Detailed examinations have revealed that this painting is the original version by the artist himself, created in 1652 or earlier. The version previously considered to be the original—owned by the Accademia di San Luca in Rome itself—is now regarded as a second version by the painter and his workshop. Sweert’s remarkable ability to create a sense of tension and an electric atmosphere through his use of light, color, facial expressions, and nuance is particularly evident in this work. It depicts a scene worthy of a painting: an encounter between two social classes. Six shepherds, sitting around a fire on a dark embankment as they eat their meal, are approached by a young couple dressed in fine clothes. Three younger men in the background have stood up; one of them appears to be about to remove his cap. Their three older companions in the foreground do not interrupt their relaxed meal. The man reclining in the foreground with his back to the viewer—whose face is effectively backlit in profile by the fire—appears to be speaking to the couple. The shepherds are depicted in natural poses. Their section of the painting is rendered in earthy shades of brown, red, and beige. The couple who have joined the group appear static. While the gentleman, with his hands clasped over the hilt of his sword, looks down at the speaker, his wife—her right hand resting on her husband’s shoulder—is the only one of all the figures in the picture to look out of the picture toward the viewer. The color of her dress echoes the hues of the early-evening landscape in the background. With their distinctive facial features, the visitors do not appear to be mere background figures but rather individuals portrayed in their own right. The position of their hands is particularly interesting: is the man pointing with the index finger of his left hand at the dog looking up at him faithfully, or at the speaker? Is the woman’s little finger extended in an elegant, affected manner? Or is she pointing to the ram lying at her feet, which, in terms of color and lighting, forms a unity with her? This animal, lying apart from the flock among the people, is conspicuously shorn. Five regular tufts of fleece run along its spine. In northern Italy, this method of shearing is occasionally used to mark the tamest animal in the flock or the most assertive lead animal. In any case, it is a distinctive visual feature that sets this individual apart and elevates it above the flock visible in the background. Can this be interpreted as an analogy to those in positions of authority who stand out outwardly, yet remain human? What is the significance of the object that the boy in the background is holding in his hand? It appears to be a small box. It is possible that the passing shepherds have to pay the landowner and that this is the reason for the visit. Provenance: - Private collection, Italy; Private collection, Naples. Exhibition: Michael Sweerts. Reality and Mysteries in Seventeenth-Century Rome. Accademia Nazionale di San Luca, Rome, November 7, 2024 – January 18, 2025. Literature: Exhibition catalog of the Accademia Nazionale di San Luca, Rome, November 7, 2024, through January 18, 2025. Cat. no. 11, p. 93f, with ill. Estimated shipping costs for this lot: This lot is not suitable for parcel shipping. Transport is available only through a shipping company following consultation after the auction. Additional shipping insurance Shipping insurance up to a total invoice amount of 25,000 euros: max. 41.65 euros For a total invoice amount exceeding 25,000 euros: 1.8 per mille Shipping to the U.S. by individual arrangement after the auction. #Michiel Sweerts #Dutch School/Flemish School #Bambocchant #The Netherlands #17th C. #Couples #Animals #Old Masters.