Beschreibung:

DescriptionThe Property of a Gentleman
Joseph van AkenAntwerp circa 1699 - 1749 LondonA Musical Gathering
oil on canvasunframed: 88.4 x 126.4 cm.; 34¾ x 49¾ in.framed: 120.4 x 158.9 cm.; 47⅜ x 62⅝ in.Condition reportThe lined canvas is in a fairly clean condition with an old varnish layer which has yellowed. There is evidence throughout of the paint surface being rubbed, particularly in the shadows of the architectural elements. The strings of the instruments have disappeared. Some of the details of the faces of the figures appear to be slightly abraded. The impasto of the drapery of the figures and the curtain to the right is well preserved. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals that the entire surface is covered in a very old and highly reflective varnish, at least two campaigns of restoration are visible. Old retouching is visible on the far left of the picture on the architectural details, strengthening is found particularly in the area surrounding the dancing figures. Strengthening is also visible in the outline of the statue at the centre. Strengthening of the edges is particularly visible in the group assembled on the balcony on the top left. Strengthening of the edges and shadows is found in the bottom right corner, including the shadows underneath the cello player and around the servant on the right. There is also an area of round retouching in the green curtain measuring approx.. 2cm across. The picture is in overall good condition.
Please note that Condition 12 of the Conditions of Business for Buyers (Online Only) is not applicable to this lot.
The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colors and shades which are different to the lot's actual color and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation. The condition report is a statement of opinion only. For that reason, the condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS ONLINE CONDITION REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE/BUSINESS APPLICABLE TO THE RESPECTIVE SALE.ProvenanceRichard Berridge (1808–1887), Ballynahinch Castle, County Galway, Ireland, by circa 1870;
Removed from Ballynahinch Castle in 1924 and retained by the Berridge Family;
Thence by descent to the present owners.Catalogue notePainted by the Antwerp born Joseph van Aken this musical gathering is typical of the artist's independent work produced during the 1720s. It is the first time that this work has been sold in over 150 years.
Van Aken arrived in London around 1720, where he began producing multi-figured scenes in interiors influenced by northern genre painting. This form of genre scene, which was also explored heavily in the paintings of Marcellus Laroon the Younger (1679–1772), was eventually perfected by none other than William Hogarth (1697–1764). Van Aken was an associate of Hogarth and accompanied him on a visit to France in 1748.
In this canvas the artist presents a musical gathering in a grand neo-classical setting attended by dancers, servants and onlookers enjoying the sensual delights on offer. Van Aken's London was a city bursting with music and was at this time home to George Frideric Handel and a deluge of visiting Italian musicians and performers. Here the artist has taken great delight in depicting the various musical instruments assembled. In the centre, a lady in yellow plays a struck dulcimer, accompanied by a hautboy (oboe) player, a lutenist and a cellist for bass accompaniment. Also depicted is an idle baroque guitar, with accompanying case, and a violin resting on the floor. To the left a seated violin player observes a couple dancing underneath a balcony whilst being admired by an audience from above. This mixture of musical performance, dance and the pursuit of pleasure in luxurious surroundings is a hallmark of the fête galante subject pursued by many artists of the Rococo period.
A surviving drawing by Van Aken in the British Museum suggests that the artist would use quickly drawn studies of figures which he would then place into larger paintings.1 Some details found in this painting, with slight variations, are encountered in other works by the artist; these include the gallant cellist and oboe player, which are very similar to another pair encountered in a painting in the Towner, Eastborne.2 The statue on a plinth in the background also reappears in an interior in the collection of Tate Britain.3
By the 1730s Van Aken eventually abandoned this genre altogether and pursued the lucrative career of a drapery painter for portraits. His talent for producing brilliant renderings of all manners of textiles was sought by artists such as Joseph Highmore Thomas Hudson Allan Ramsay George Knapton and others.
1 https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1865-1014-3732 https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/the-music-party-73044/view_as/grid/search/makers:joseph-van-aken-c16991749/page/13 https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/an-english-family-at-tea-202592/view_as/grid/search/makers:joseph-van-aken-c16991749/page/1