The Card Party. Jacob Duck (1600-1667) And Workshop

*17th century period Oil on canvas Presented in a very beautiful period frame in carved and gilded wood Total dimensions with the frame: 85 x 104 cm. The canvas: 67 x 82 cm. The interior is not that of an inn, but that of a beautiful Dutch patrician residence, the furniture is rather refined; table covered with an oriental rug, arm chairs upholstered in leather. Despite its apparent simplicity, the decor itself says a lot about the importance of the master of the house, windows with interior shutters, painting at the top of the door... Nine young aristocrats, perhaps a few soldiers, gathered for a game of cards after lunch. People drink and smoke there, an overhead light seems to illuminate the scene and highlights the elegance of the clothing. A few faces are turned towards the viewer as if for a snapshot, only the dog seems preoccupied in the hope of obtaining some relief… Jacob Duck was probably born in Utrecht in 1600, second son of Jan Jansz Duck and Maria Bool. His mother was a linen merchant in Utrecht, where Jacob spent his youth. In 1611, his parents apprenticed him to a goldsmith. In 1620 Duck married Rijckgen Crook, who bore him at least eight children, six of whom were girls who survived infancy. The following year, the archives of the guild mention him as a pupil ("Leulinghem") of Joost Cornelisz Droochsloot (1586 - 1666). That same year, he was registered as an apprentice portrait painter (“conterfeyt jongen”). From 1630 to 1632 he was on the list of independent masters in the guild archives, but he must have been painting for some time already, as his first dated work is even older: 1628. Duck remained a resident of Utrecht for those years and his presence in that city is documented at least until 1649. In 1660, however, he is recorded as living in The Hague. A year later, he is back in Utrecht. He died here on January 20 or 21, 1667 and was buried on January 28 at the Sainte-Marie-Madeleine monastery. Duck's work is steeped in vanity. A large number of his works are scenes of guard rooms, gambling dens, cabarets where young people meet to drink and play. These images speak of war, lust, laziness, greed, which as earthly and according to Christian tradition, the concerns of sins, are loosely associated with vanity. It was in its later production that the noisy, cluttered interiors gradually turned into quieter scenes with fewer protagonists. In doing so, Duck was experimenting with compositions that offered a whole range of new dramaturgical possibilities. He explored all of this in competition with the greatest artists who painted gatehouse scenes, such as Symon Kick (1603 - 1652) and Gerard ter Borch (1617 - 1681). The reduction in the number of figures led to a preference for smaller formats and invited the artist to zoom in on the protagonists, resulting in a more detailed description of costumes, gestures and physiognomies. His work is often associated with the work of Pieter Codde. Although few dated works by Duck are known, it is thanks to these characteristics that our painting can be located around 1650. Beautiful condition. A recent cleaning has revealed a magnificent palette of colors hidden under multiple layers of dirty and yellowed varnish. Sold with invoice & certificate.