In his early years Nicolaes Maes was a painter of domestic scenes and portraits; from 1660 onwards he specialised in small-scale portraits. His early religious paintings such as the Gallery's 'Christ blessing Children' are strongly marked by Rembrandt's influence.
Maes was born in Dordrecht and probably became a pupil of Rembrandt in Amsterdam in about 1650. By 1654 Maes had returned to Dordrecht, and remained there until 1673, when he returned to Amsterdam.The earliest of his small domestic scenes, which probably influenced de Hooch and other Delft painters, were produced from about the time of his return to Dordrecht. He turned to portraiture from about 1656.
Nicolaes Maes
1634 - 1693
Paintings by Nicolaes Maes
(Showing 6 of 7 works)
A little girl looks out at us, as if eager for us to tell her that she’s doing her job well – her smile a little nervous, the hand on the cradle clutching it tight. She looks no more than five years old, but she’s been given the responsibility of looking after the baby that sleeps soundly, button...
Not on display
At first glance, this dark room might seem bare and forbidding but the deep brown of the walls encloses the two figures in warmth and serenity. There’s just enough light to reveal them, but Maes doesn‘t show the window, so the comfortable atmosphere isn’t disturbed. The concentration of woman and...
Not on display
Nicolaes Maes has turned a biblical moment into a scene from his own time, illustrating part of the Gospel of Matthew (19.13–14): ‘Then there were brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, Suffer little childr...
Not on display
Late in his career, Nicolaes Maes painted several small portraits in this style, often in an oval format. The background is dark, with a brown brocade curtain pushed to one side behind the sitter. A stylish young man confronts us with a direct gaze and half smile.We don’t know who this young man...
Not on display
A warm light cast from the left illuminates a dark red curtain raised behind the sitter. This light seems to soften the man’s stern expression and the stark white of his stiff collar and cuffs.The old man in Nicolaes Maes’s portrait hasn’t been identified, even though he appears to be a man of so...
Not on display
Jan de Reus is about 70 years old in this portrait. He looks out from a dark background, his lined face framed by the long curls of a full-bottomed wig. Each wrinkle is rendered with meticulous care. His mouth is sensitive, though the lips are perhaps not as clearly defined as they once would hav...
Not on display
Although the title of this picture is Interior with a Sleeping Maid and her Mistress it has become known as The Idle Servant. The young woman is slumped on a stool, head in hand, taking a snooze after the hard work involved in preparing a large meal; heavy pots and pans litter the floor. But the...
Not on display
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