Gerard Hoet - The court of Troy - XVIIth century

Priam Receiving Pâris and Helen to the court of Troy. Oil on canvas.
Pâris brings back in his ship (right on the web) the young queen that was abducted from her husband Menelaus, and comes to present to his father Priam. The court gathered outside the palace to greet travelers returning from Sparta, and especially to admire the beautiful Helen. In addition to the wealth of information on the many characters (silks, spartan, wreaths, hair, ...), the architecture is painted with a striking precision (marble columns, bas-reliefs, Corinthian ...).

Gerard Hoet or Gerard Hoet I (1648 - 1733): Painter Dutch Golden Age, he owes his fame to his works depicting historical and mythological subjects.
It is with his father and brother, both vitraillistes, he studied painting. Then he perfected his art from Warnard van Ryssen. During his travels, he meets the painters Jan van Bunnik, Justus Nieuwpoort and Andries de Wit.
His works meet a real success among the nobility and the bourgeoisie. To respond to commands which affluent, his workshop produced several copies of the same tables. In 1697, he founded his own academy of painting in Utrecht.