The story

This painting by Palamedesz presents an elegant company making music. The decorations on the wall such as a chart of the Low Countries –the famous ‘Leo Belgicus’- and the seascape to the right appear in several other pictures by Palamedesz. Compare for instance the picture dated 1632 in the Mauritshuis The Hague in which the same seascape hangs on the wall.

Palamedesz primarily painted portraits and genre works, while his brother Palamedes Palamedesz was a battle scene painter. Anthonie Palamedesz was an apprentice in the studio of Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt and Hans Jordaens and joined the Delft Guild of Saint Luke already in 1621. He married twice and had four children. His pupils were his younger brother Palamedes, his own son Palamedes II and Ludolf de Jongh. Anthonie died in Amsterdam in 1673.

Signed and dated upper right.

Provenance: Chevalier Alphonse de Stuers ambassador in Paris for the Dutch state until 1919 Private collection