Circle Of Jakob De Backer (1540-1599), Child's Toilet

Oil on panel, 49 x 63.5 cm Wooden frame This fresh scene depicts six young children busy washing a seventh, depicted with African features. The whole, of great delicacy, recalls the compositions of Jakob de Backer where the innocence of childhood is treated in an allegorical and humanist spirit. The presence of characters of diverse origins illustrates the openness of 16th-century Flemish artists to a varied iconography, nourished by the exchanges and discoveries of the time. This work is part of the Mannerist tradition of Antwerp, where children, assimilated to ancient putti, were often represented in scenes of play or care. A charming and lively composition, where the richness of the details and the warmth of the skin tones reflect the refinement of the Flemish school of the late Renaissance. B 5692 G 356