Gillis De Winter (c.1650-1720) - Dutch School 17th Century Oil Good Times

Description

A lively 17th century Dutch Golden Age tavern scene by the artist Gillis De Winter (c.1650-1720). A jovial serving woman holds a pewter tankard while exchanging a warm, flirtatious moment with a patron. In the background, figures drink and make merry, while two children and a dog occupy the foreground. The warm, candlelit atmosphere and genre subject matter are strongly reminiscent of the work of Jan Steen. Signed to the left. Beautifully presented in a swept gilt frame. On canvas on stretchers.

Condition

Signs of wear consistent with age. The condition is typical for a picture of this age, including some discolouration. Fine craquelure and light abrasions throughout. The artwork has undergone previous restoration, including small areas of overpainting. Overall, the artwork remains in very good condition for its age. Some wear to the frame, including scuffs, chips and indentations.

Size

30 x 27cm (11.8" x 10.6")
Framed Size: 44 x 40cm (17.3" x 15.7")

Artist Biography

Gillis de Winter (also known as Gilles Aegidius de Winter, born in Leeuwarden, c. 1650, and died in Amsterdam in 1720) was a Dutch painter working in the late Golden Age tradition. His recorded work locations were both Leeuwarden and Amsterdam, reflecting a career that spanned the two cities. De Winter trained in the workshop of Richard Brakenburgh (1650–1702), himself a Dutch Golden Age painter who worked in the manner of Adriaen van Ostade and was a follower of Jan Steen. De Winter varied the compositions of his teacher and executed similar tavern and genre scenes featuring a characteristic palette; in general, his works are considered more "down to earth" than comparable paintings by Brakenburgh. De Winter specialised in genre painting, with his subjects including tavern interiors with figures smoking and drinking, street peddlers, village festivals, and figures merry-making outside inns. He worked primarily in oil on canvas, though some works on panel are also recorded. His work has on occasion been mistaken for that of his teacher Brakenburgh, and a number of paintings formerly attributed to the Haarlem artist Cornelis Dusart have since been reattributed to de Winter by the Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie (RKD). He signed works with the monogram "AEW" or variants of the Winter name.