Dutch School Circa 1660

Anonymous sale, London, Christie's, April 7, 1995, lot 101 (as circle of Gillis van Tilborch), to French and Company.

At the time of the Thirty Years' War, when this picture was painted, instruments of warfare resonated strongly with audiences.  This war was really a number of different conflicts, which raged throughout Europe from 1618 to 1648, and transformed the daily lives of citizens of all involved countries.  Even in the Netherlands, which were not the most affected region, people began seeing more soldiers, who spent any time away from battle in town, and could frequently be found in taverns.  Thus, the image of well polished armor and a drum must have been most evocative to the contemporary audience.  In the present picture, the inclusion of a man, probably a servant, who has fallen asleep by his master's apparel, may carry a didactic or moralistic meaning, in keeping with the Dutch painting tradition. Although this picture has thus far evaded certain attribution, its facture and treatment of textures are reminiscent of the works of contemporary painters such as Gerard Ter Borch and Jacob Duck.  The artist was indeed very keen on showcasing his mastery at depicting textures, including: delicate silks, polished armour, felt and feathers. Finally, it should be noted that the scale of the composition is unusually large for such a subject.