André Jerzy Mniszech (wischnowitz, 1823 - Paris, 1905), The Goldsmith Hendrik Clootens, Triptych.

André Jerzy Mniszech (Wischnowitz, 1823 - Paris, 1905), Goldsmith Hendrik Clootens, Triptych. Central panel: 113.5 x 90.5 cm / Side panels: 119.5 x 44 cm On the closed left flap in trompe l'oeil on which one can read (translation): "the doors opened and the Ghysult saw the work of the famous Handrick Clootens, who, according to him, was also an experienced goldsmith. See him here with his work and great praise for his long life. He was born in 1602 and was still in good health to this day." Label on the back of the painting (translated from Polish): "general national exhibition in Lviv, 1894 section XX, group XXVI A. Art Department Name and first name: Mniszech (Andrey) Exact address: 47 rue Boissière Paris Title of the work: Zrotmik (triptych) from the 17th century Return address: 47 rue Boissière Paris". Personal collection of the artist who died in 1905, passed on to his wife Anne-Charlotte MARRIER de LAGATINERIE (1840 - 1910), then by descent by marriage Brochant de Villiers collection. Exhibition: Lviv, 1894, the painting won a bronze medal at this exhibition. Count Andzrej-Jerzy Mniszech, a Polish painter living in Paris since 1852, became a sought-after portrait painter, thanks in particular to the large Polish community. A great lover of old paintings, he revered the Dutch artists of the 17th century, especially Frans Hals. He kept a lifelong passion for old costumes, refined objects, draperies and theatrical stagings. His models are often dressed in the fashion of the Dutch 17th century, like the goldsmith represented in the central panel of the triptych. The identity of the character who may have inspired Mniszech is unknown, was he a celebrated goldsmith of his time? Seated, he looks at the spectator, as if to present him the piece of goldwork placed on a table. On the side panels are displayed superb gold and silver objects, proof of his talent and his success. On the back of these panels, large draperies on one of which is fixed a handwritten document, in trompe l'oeil, which seems to compare our triptych to the one sold in Paris on April 21, 2023 (sold for €15,000), representing the tailor-bootmaker Hendrick Clootens, known in Flanders in the 17th century. The goldsmith shows Mniszech's talent in characterizing his model. The range of sober and restricted colors indicates his status as a respectable bourgeois, the smiling face expresses obvious satisfaction while the lively eyes reveal the perceptive, skillful and self-confident merchant. The side panels that frame it with two rich and luminous still lifes, energize the whole and give the portrait a great visual presence. Mniszech appreciated triptychs, a format that was rare in the 19th century except for religious subjects. It corresponded to the painter's original temperament, allowing him to both draw attention to the central character seen against a neutral background, and to imaginatively reveal, on the side panels, objects that were significant or valuable to the goldsmith. This tripartite and structured layout, combining the respectability of the portrait with the fantasy of still lifes, pleased Mniszech's patrons who used it on several occasions.