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Portrait of Moliere

Caspar Netscher

  • Portrait of Moliere 2
  • Portrait of Moliere 3
Basic information
ID
Ж-269
Author
Caspar Netscher
Name
Portrait of Moliere
Date of creation
17th c.
Country
Holland
Technique
oil painting
Material
copper oil
Dimensions (height x width, cm)
31.2 x 25.6
Additionally
Type
painting
Genre
portraiture
Plot
Portrait
Provenance
the Lubomirski collection
Information about author
Author
Caspar Netscher
Artist's lifetime
1636/1639–1684
Country
Holland
Biography
Caspar Netscher was most likely born in Heidelberg around 1636 or 1639. According to other records, he came from Prague. After the father's death, approximately in 1640–1642, the family moved to Arnhem. There, the portraitist Hendrick Coster gave the artist his first drawing lessons. Around 1655, he moved to Deventer, where he continued his studies in the studio of the famous painter Gerard ter Borch. Caspar Netscher achieved considerable success during his studies by performing portraits of the Dutch elite. In 1659, the master worked in Bordeaux but moved with his family to The Hague due to hostility towards Protestants. Caspar Netscher's works are of high artistic skills. He masterfully conveyed the nature of the portrayed people and the texture of various fabrics. The artist mainly executed small-format portraits filled with light and bright colours. He usually depicted half-length images against the background of landscapes or in the interiors.
 
Object description
Caspar Netscher is credited with more than 200 works; another 400 documented paintings remain unidentified. Given the artist's high popularity in The Hague and the number of completed portraits, he must have had a large workshop where hundreds of canvases were created under his supervision. "The Portrait of Moliere" was most likely executed in his workshop or afterwards by one of his followers. The painting lacks the naturalistic depiction of details and the realistic fabric modelling inherent in the artist's portraits. The portrait represents a young man traditionally identified as a prominent French playwright. He is sitting at a table against the background of a green curtain decorated with gold weaving. His right hand is pointing to the letter in his left hand.
Legal regulation
Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery

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