FLEMISH SCHOOL, 1650 -1660
Portrait of Two Sisters
oil on canvas
46.7 x 37.2 inches (118.5 x 94.5 cm.)
PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Isle of Wight
Two young sisters are posed on a portico backed by a rotund column with a landscape beyond. Although their identities are unknown their outfits as well as the setting denotes wealth and status. The older sister wears a gown of gold with blue and gold trim raised to reveal a green underskirt also edged with gold. Her collar tied at the neck and fastened over her shoulders by a large rosette of golden cloth, apron and cuffs over wide sleeves, are all of a sheer batiste linen trimmed with lace. Previously a child would not have been painted in a bib or apron above the age of three, but in the 1650s and 1660s it became fashionable for older girls.[1] A leading string hangs from her right shoulder, which is also surprising given her age, but once their utility was gone, they were viewed as a decorative accessory and remained part of children’s costumes.[2] She wears double strands of coral around her wrists, as does her little sister whose are triple layered who also has a coral necklace. Coral was believed to ward off disease and evil spirits, and just as coral once removed from reefs could be transformed into precious stones hopefully so too did a child develop.[3] Her cap is linen and lace with gold bows in her hair, and two loose curls framing her face. Roses grow behind her, the symbol for love, and in her left hand she presents a carnation to her sister emblematic of betrothal. Although a rare feature in children’s portraiture, as it was usually reserved for couples and family groups, there is at least one other example known of children represented with this flower.[4]
The seated younger sister wears a sheer linen bib and apron over a light grey dress with linen cuffs. Her flat shoulder collar is linen trimmed with lace similar to her cap. Her stockings and shoes are gold. Her hair is arranged identically to her older sister. While the older sister holds down her apron, the younger’s has been blown sideways and her hem lifted as is the right edge of her collar. In this capacity the wind can be viewed as capable of driving out evil and attracting goodness.[5] In her arms the little girl holds a doll, suggestive of her future role of motherhood. Most dolls were made of wood and produced in Germany. Typically they represent grown women, fashionably dressed, often with movable limbs. Many times the doll’s clothing echoes that of the sitter. Brightly dressed, the doll’s bib and collar resemble that of the little sister, while the black cap with gold trim differ.[6]
Just behind the girls is a massive column consisting of several round blocks, which can be viewed as symbolic of fortitude and constancy.[7] This type of column resembles those in the portico of Ruben’s courtyard and were reproduced in a number of Flemish seventeenth century paintings.[8]
The vogue for painting children with architectural elements or in pastoral landscapes became popular in the Southern Netherlands about mid-century. In this work both trends are combined. The placement of the girls on a terrace at sunset suggests ownership by the family of a country estate. Life in the country was perceived as peaceful, contemplative and free of worry or hardships. If property was unaffordable, the assumption of ownership could be attained on canvas.[9] By painting the light in this work to reflect sunset, the suggestion of tranquility and the association with antiquity were heightened.[10] The inclusion of a reference to antiquity stems from the popularity of pastoral literature at this time which presented a vision of Arcadia as a paradise free of the mundane tribulations of daily life, particularly those encountered in town and court.[11]
Fascinatingly the period of this painting’s execution coincides with an economic recession in Flanders which appears to have resulted in an overall decline in the painting of children’s portraits.[12] The Two Sisters are the embodiment of the hopes, dreams and aspirations all families cherish for their children. By having their images recorded for posterity, perhaps during a period of economic constraint for the family, the contemporary viewer has been given a gift and an invaluable insight into the period.
We would like to thank Katlijne Van der Stighelen for identifying this work as Flemish circa 1650 – 1660, and her incalculable contribution to the writing of this fact sheet.
[1] Saskia Kuus, “Children’s Costumes in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries,” in Pride and Joy, Children’s Portraits in the Netherlands 1500 – 1700, Leiden Press, Ghent, 2000, p. 81.
[2] Ibid, p. 77.
[3] Katlijne Van der Stighelen, “Peter Paul Rubens” in Pride and Joy, op.cit., p. 124.
[4] Written communication from Katlijne Van der Stighelen dated September 18, 2022.
[5] James Hall, “Wind” in Dictionary of Subjects & Symbols in Art, Harper & Row, Publishers, New York, 1974, p 341.
[6] Annemarieke Willemsen, “The Culture of Play in the Netherlands around 1600” in Pride and Joy, op.cit., pp. 65-66; and with written communication from Katlijne Van der Stighelen, op.cit.
[7] James Hall, “Pillar” in Dictionary of Subjects & Symbols in Art, op.cit., p. 247.
[8] Written communication from Katlijne Van der Stighelen, op.cit.
[9] Alison McNeil Kettering, The Dutch Arcadia: Pastoral Art and its Audience in the Golden Age, Totowa,
New Jersey, 1983, pp. 10-11, 18.
[10] Scott A. Sullivan, The Dutch Gamepiece, Rowmant Allenheld Publishers, Totowa, New Jersey, 1983, pp. 12-13.
[11] James Hall, “Arcadia” in Dictionary of Subjects & Symbols in Art, op.cit., pp. 30-31; and Alison McNeil Kettering,
The Dutch Arcadia, op.cit., pp. 10-11, 70-71.
[12] Katlijne Van der Stighelen, “ ‘Bounty from Heaven’ – The Counter-Reformation and Childlikeness in the Southern Netherlands” in Pride and Joy, op.cit., p. 40.