ENGLISH SCHOOL, 1672
Three Brothers
Inscribed and dated Pinxt 1672 in the lower left
oil on canvas
34 ¼ x 44 inches (87 x 111.9 cm)
PROVENANCE
Lane Fine Art, London, by the early 1980’s, from whom acquired by a
Private Collection, Boston until the present time
Three charming young boys stand at the edge of a forest at twilight. Their satin and brocade long coats bedecked with ribbon loops from which wide-sleeved white linen shirts and jabots protrude are of the latest fashion. This is a portrayal for the ages in which all the hopes and dreams for the family’s future are embodied by these brothers. The pets and flowers presented by the boys underscore these wishes.
The youngest child on the left-side displays a finch held by a string. A finch was an easy bird to train and a common pet. The lessons of guidance, perseverance and repetition for proper training were felt to apply to children, birds, and animals alike. This particular attribute became a staple in children’s portraits during the seventeenth century.[1]
The middle child holds a very large tulip as well as a small bouquet of flowers. Flowers in general symbolized “youth and blossoming”.[2] Although tulipmania was at its height in The Netherlands between 1634 – 1637, the flower did not gain general popularity in England until shortly before this portrait was painted. By the time the fervor for tulips peaked circa 1710, it “had become a nation-wide phenomenon appearing on furniture and fabrics, silver, and all kinds of ceramics from lead-glazed Staffordshire posset pots to the tin-glazed Southwark dishes”.[3] In 1672 the tulip at the center of the composition would have been regarded as a “jewel flower”. At this point these flowers were typically “long-petalled, loose in shape, often showing gaps between the petals, the whole flower rarely forming the neat cupped shape that was later deemed to be the acme of perfection of the English florists’ tulip. But these early tulips were rare, therefore precious”. The most admired were feathered with red on a white ground,[4] just like the one in the painting.
The eldest brother stands to the right self-assuredly posed with his right hand on hip while his left rests upon a spaniel perched on a rock. Often found in children’s portraits of the period, the dog is a metaphor for the need to reign in natural tendencies. It was believed that this could be accomplished for both child and dog only through instruction and education.[5] Pets were routinely included in these portrayals.[6] In this instance, judging by the spaniel’s sympathetic gaze along with the boy’s loving caress, it must certainly be the case.
The park-like setting of a country estate serves to accentuate the family’s status. By painting the light to reflect sunset the suggestion of tranquility was felt to be heightened, an element in portraiture that was much in vogue at the time.[7]
Although as yet unidentified the painter of this work was well schooled in technique and symbolism, as well as fully aware of the current taste of the aristocratic client. Importantly position and the need for education are equally emphasized within the composition. It is exceedingly rare to find images from this period of a group of children of such exquisite beauty.
We would sincerely like to thank Alan Fausel, Executive Director of the AKC Museum of the Dog, New York, for his assistance in the writing of this entry.
[1] Jan Baptist Bedaux, The Reality of Symbols, Gary Swartz, SDU Publishers, The Hague, 1990, pp. 113, 119; and Saskia Kuus, “Peter Paul Rubens, Child with Bird” in Pride and Joy, Children’s Portraits in the Netherlands 1500 – 1700, exhibition catalogue, Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem, October 7 – December 31, 2000, p. 124.
[2] Rudi Ekkart, “Willem van der Vliet, Unidentified Boy” in Pride and Joy, op. cit., p. 164.
[3] Anna Pavord, The Tulip, Bloomsbury Publishing, London, 2000, pp. 104, 112, 115.
[4] Ibid, pp. 98-99, 101, 120.
[5] Jan Baptist Bedaux, op. cit., pp. 113, 119.
[6] Annemarieke Willemsen, “Images and Toys, The Culture of Play in the Netherlands around 1600”, in Pride and Joy, op. cit., 62.
[7] Scott A. Sullivan, The Dutch Game Piece, Rowmant Allenheld Publishers, Totowa, New Jersey, 1983, pp. 62-63.