Merry Company - Anthonie Palamedsz (1602 - 1673)

Merry Company

Oil on panel
Signed And dated upper left: “A. Palamedesz. 1653”

Dimensions: 44 x 55 cm, 74 x 87 cm (framed)
THE ARTWORK
While waiting for their shift, we see the soldiers enjoying themselves with drinks, music and conversation. It takes place in a large hall of a castle where we see a chimney on the left. Like many of Palamedesz's works, in the center we see a plump officer with a hat and mustache. The man next to the officer is holding the bow of the bass, which can be found on the right side of the painting. We also see someone in the left background who is refilling his glass and a dog who is enjoying his rest.

In the short fields of Palamedesz we see the different stages of this genre. In stage one we see soldiers relaxing and exhibiting questionable behavior. In the second phase this behavior disappears. We see more and more the ideal image of the more refined soldiers. That's what we see here. The second phase is a direct reflection of the increasing civilization in Dutch civilization. We also see a woman on the right.


THE ARTIST
Anthonie Palamedesz was a Dutch portrait and genre painter. He was born in 1602 in Leith and died on November 27, 1673 in Amsterdam. His oeuvre mainly consists of paintings of cheerful groups enjoying themselves with music and games. A well-known recurring subject is his short fields. Here you see soldiers filling their time while waiting for duty. In addition to his main work, he also painted the furnishings for views of the interior of churches. Palamedesz was an important character in the history of painting in Delft. In the middle of the 17th century he played an important role in the development of genre art in Delft. His father was a Flemish decorative artist. This had worked for King James in Scotland. He probably trained with Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt and Hans Jordaens I. He later taught Ludolf de Jongh and his brother Palamedes Palamedesz.gaf hij later les aan Ludolf de Jongh en zijn broer Palamedes Palamedesz.