Portrait Of A Boy Around 1640 – Attr. Bartholomeus Van Der Helst (1613 – 1670)

17th century Dutch school, attributed to Bartholomeus van der Helst. Oil on panel. Imprinted in a sober and refined manner typical of painters from the United Provinces, our portrait seems straight out of Van der Helst's studio. In a fake sienna-colored oval, on a plain dark background, the young man with green eyes scrutinizes the viewer, the subtle treatment of the modeling of his face giving him strength and truth. And the rich costume with metallic reflections, through chromatic harmonies, with the hair in particular, adds to the elegant style of the work.

Our portrait is presented in a refined carved natural wood frame decorated with acanthus leaves.
Dimensions: 40 x 31 cm - 50 x 40 cm with the frame

Bartholomeus van der Helst (Haarlem 1613 - Amsterdam 1670). Settled with his family in Amsterdam around 1627, information concerning his apprenticeship is lacking. But it is assumed that he was able to train with Nicolaes Elias as soon as he arrived in Amsterdam, as the influence of the latter is perceptible in his paintings, at least during the first part of his career. Indeed, before 1648, his portraits, by their realism, their elegant sobriety and their tight framing refer to the supposed tutor. The young Bartholomeus very quickly became the fashionable portrait painter of the rich Amsterdam bourgeoisie and his success tended to eclipse Rembrandt. The completion of his masterpiece the Banquet of the Civil Guard of Amsterdam celebrating the Peace of Münster in 1648 (kept at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam) marks a turning point in his career: his style evolves, the color palette enriches and the subjects come to life. Commissions flowed in and he composed collective portraits of families or corporations. His son Lodewijk will follow in his footsteps and imitate his style. Among the many paintings by Bartholomeus Van der Helst kept in museums are: Self-Portrait 1667, Uffizi Gallery, Florence - Portrait of Petrus Scriverius 1651, Gemäldegalerie, Dresden - Portrait of Paulus Potter 1654, Mauritshuis The Hague or the earthy Portrait of Gerard Andriesz Bicker 1642 at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.