Evening Mass In Antwerp Cathedral. Pieter Neefs II (1620-1675)

Monogrammed on the left pillar: PN
Oil on oak panel (one board only) In its period frame (17th century) in blackened fruitwood with reversed profile and guilloche baguettes (very beautiful model) Dimensions with the frame: 57 x 50 cm. The panel alone: 34 x 26 cm
        This precious little painting is part of the pure tradition of Flemish painters who depicted with great precision and charm the interiors of churches or cathedrals. On this panel Pieter Neefs the younger chose one of the side chapels of Antwerp Cathedral to show us a night mass. He focuses on a meticulous rendering of the decor and details; the tombstones, the civil and religious figures, the large altar painting with the flight into Egypt, and these two women who wear this strange black cape fixed on a headdress with a handle at its top allowing it to be easily removed. Born in 1620 in Antwerp, Pieter Neefs the Younger specialized in depicting church interiors. A student of his father Pieter Neefs the Elder, he painted in his style and copied some of his compositions. While comparing the works of the two artists is often difficult, Pieter Neefs II's coloring appears smoother and harder, his drawing more precise, and his shadows less marked. The interior of a church, apart from its plastic interest, is then considered the preferred medium for the infinite play of rays of light that propagate or reverberate according to the data of a complex and rigorously logical architecture. The laws of perspective are strictly applied, the vanishing lines are clearly drawn by the grid of tombstones and the floor paving. The colors reveal the finest details of the architecture, even in the shadowy areas. Figures and sometimes animals happily bring this very faithful image to life. Technical prowess or intellectual game? The interior of Antwerp Cathedral was one of his favourite subjects and many of his imaginary church interiors are a pastiche of elements of Antwerp Cathedral. Like his father, he painted several night scenes of church interiors, sometimes accompanied by depictions of the same interior in daylight. These church interiors were highly prized by collectors and were always prominently represented in the cabinets of amateurs illustrated by Pieter Neefs' contemporaries, Frans Francken and David Teniers. Most major museums have works by Pieter Neefs the Younger and the Elder in their collections.
Very beautiful original condition. An expert certificate will be given to the purchaser.