17th C Portrait of a Gentleman labelled "magistrat flamand Nicolas Maes" .

17th C Portrait of a Gentleman labelled "magistrat flamand Nicolas Maes" ,Oil on Canvas (marouflage),original frame.

Tracing the exact provenance of the portrait is complex. It was spotted in an old photograph of one of the rooms of the 'Ter Meeren' castle in Zaventem, owned by the estate of Auguste Braun, a lawyer at the Belgian Court of Cassation. It remains uncertain whether the portrait was part of Mr. Braun's family property or if he acquired it. It is conceivable that it was purchased with the castle, which has been owned by noble families for centuries.The gentleman's long curly locks cascade over his red coat, adding to his distinguished appearance. His slightly inclined pose adds depth to the composition, breaking away from the stiff Dutch portraits of the early 17th century. The style and pictorial quality suggest that the portrait was executed by Nicolaes Maes (Dordrecht, 1634-Amsterdam, 1693) and his workshop. From the late 1650s, Maes primarily focused on portraits, depicting his clients in idealized settings evoking high society, as illustrated in this painting.