Equestrian Portrait With Battle Scene, Circle Of Adam Frans Van Der Meulen (1632 – 1690)

Circle of Adam Frans van der Meulen
(Brussels 1632 – Paris 1690)

Equestrian portrait with battle scene in the background

Oil on canvas

81 x 103 cm.
In frame 105 x 124 cm.

Full details of the work (click HERE)

The centre of the composition is occupied by the equestrian portrait of a young knight, who looks directly at the observer with a proud expression, dressed in a dark military parade uniform with red details and a plumed hat.

The leader is riding a dark bay horse, depicted in a dynamic and impetuous pose, a classic motif in equestrian iconography symbolising power and dominion. He is holding a flintlock pistol, a weapon of great value in 17th-century France, which became a symbol of prestige and military power, especially during the reign of the “Sun King”.

In the background, army troops are preparing for battle, with ranks of soldiers on horseback adding a narrative and historical-military context to the scene.

The work uses the rhetoric of royal power to show the subject in a context of command and military prestige.

The style of the painting therefore fits into the genre of celebratory equestrian portraiture, common between the 17th and 18th centuries, which emphasises the status and authority of the subject. Although the exact identity of the commander is uncertain, the painting shares stylistic and thematic similarities with works by Italian and Flemish masters of the period.

The painting in question is the work of an artist from the circle of Adam Frans van der Meulen (Brussels 1632 – Paris 1690), a French Baroque painter of Flemish origin who specialised in war scenes, and probably depicts a general in Louis XIV's army.

The great popularity of this artist is linked to the commission entrusted to him by Louis XIV, King of France, as court painter during numerous wars and battles fought by France, including the War of Devolution (1667–1668) for possession of the Netherlands, then under Spanish rule.
Commissioned by the Sun King, he travelled with the army and thus became an eyewitness to these events, in order to immortalise the monarch's military glories in painting: the works he produced were then placed in various royal residences and donated to the highest ranks of the army.


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The work is sold complete with a beautiful antique frame and comes with a certificate of authenticity and guarantee.

We take care of and organise the transport of purchased works, both in Italy and abroad, using professional and insured carriers.

It is also possible to view the painting in our gallery in Riva del Garda, where we will be delighted to welcome you and show you our collection of works.

Please contact us, without obligation, for any additional information.

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