Gerard Hoet (1648-1733) 17th Century Flemish School

Large period painting from the late 17th century oil on canvas Flemish school by the Gerard HOET workshop (Zaltbommel 1648-1733 The Hague) bearing a trace of the artist's signature located at the bottom of the column supporting the statue of Venus. Presumed allegorical scene depicting "Aeneas and Dido" The hero of the Trojan War is dressed in a Roman cuirass masked with the purple paludamentum of the imperator, in the background is designated Achate his very faithful squire brandishing a beam of arrow as if to remember that they are warriors first. The Felician princess is dressed in a long dress with a sensual neckline and an antique drape adorned with golden motifs. Cupids are posted on the left of the stage and form a circle around a basket of flowers, while a monumental sculpture of Venus with love sits on the right near a brazier symbolizing the flame of love. Period frame in gilded wood carved with a Rocaille motif and foliage scrolls. Good general condition and conservation, original canvas presented on a good frame with keys. Dimensions: 78 cm X 68 cm 

Gérard Hoet, son of a glass painter, was particularly known for his southern landscapes with biblical and mythological figurative groups. After long stays in The Hague, Paris and Brussels, the painter settled in Utrecht. In 1697, he founded a drawing academy with Hendrick Schoock. Hoet's pictorial style is marked by a fine application of paint, reminiscent of Leiden Feinmalerei. His figures betray the influence of French painting that Hoet had studied in Paris. There are comparable mythological scenes of Hoet in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, and in the Norton Simon Collection, Pasadena.