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| 'Two Sisters' (c.1615) by Cornelis de Vos; Sinebrychoff Art Museum, Helsinki |
Most of the paintings by the Flemish painter Cornelis de Vos, born in 1584 and died on 9 May 1651, I don't really like, but the one shown here today gets more beautiful and captivating the longer you look at it. I think it's captivating because the girls do look alike, like sisters, but at the same time have different faces. You look at them and you can even decide which of the two you find prettier (I think I find the girl on the right prettier). Vos worked closely with the famous painter Peter Paul Rubens although his style is more similar to Anthony van Dyck than Rubens. He was a portrait painter in Antwerp society and of family groups and among his best works are the paintings of children. It is in his close observation of character that his portraits resemble those of Van Dyck. I love today's portrait! It's rich in detail. Look at the fine and dramatic lace collars and notice the shadows under the eyes of the girl on the right.
Oh my goodness, this is simply fantastic. Wow. Can't believe I'd never seen it before. I agree that there is an affinity with Van Dyck more so than with Rubens. Actually, you should google Van Dyck's portrait of Charles I (1635-36) or just check out the detail shot, which is featured on VD's artcyclopedia landing page as of this writing: http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/van_dyck_sir_anthony.html
ReplyDeleteUncanny, right? Anyway, thanks for sharing!
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