Possibly by Michiel Nouts, 'A Family Group', about 1655
About the work
Overview
This very large painting was cut in half sometime before 1900. In 1915, the halves were rejoined in the National Gallery and some missing portions replaced.
The way the family is grouped, with clear division between male and female, is significant. Father and son are together. They turn towards each other and a gesture from the father suggests that, one day, his son will inherit his role as the head of the family. The mother and three daughters are dutifully supportive, the mother still nurturing the two youngsters. The eldest girl, with the two bright red cherries, leans away, slightly apart. She is learning to become independent, ready one day to marry out of the family.
The costumes suggest a date in the 1650s. The artist was possibly familiar with painting in Delft. A stylistic resemblance between this picture and a portrait by Michiel Nouts (Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam) – his only known signed work – suggests it may be by him.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- A Family Group
- Artist
- Possibly by Michiel Nouts
- Artist dates
- baptised 1628-1693
- Date made
- about 1655
- Medium and support
- oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- 178 × 235 cm
- Acquisition credit
- The left half presented by Charles Fairfax Murray, 1900; the right half bought, 1910
- Inventory number
- NG1699
- Location
- Not on display
- Collection
- Main Collection
- Previous owners
Provenance
Additional information
Text extracted from the ‘Provenance’ section of the catalogue entry in Neil MacLaren, revised and expanded by Christopher Brown, ‘National Gallery Catalogues: The Dutch School: 1600–1900’, London 1991; for further information, see the full catalogue entry.
Bibliography
-
1960Maclaren, Neil, National Gallery Catalogues: The Dutch School, 2 vols, London 1960
-
1991Maclaren, Neil, revised by Christopher Brown, National Gallery Catalogues: The Dutch School, 1600-1900, 2nd edn (revised and expanded), 2 vols, London 1991
-
2001
C. Baker and T. Henry, The National Gallery: Complete Illustrated Catalogue, London 2001
About this record
If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.