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41 x 59 cm
Oil on canvas


Report

The Temple of Vesta

The subject

This work is another important example of the genre scene from the Roman school of the late 17th century: the central subject is the outside of an inn near the Temple of Vesta; a drinking trough in the centre of the scene is the catalytic element, around which the attention of all the protagonists in the composition (six figures and several animals) appears to be focused.

This genre of painting, after its establishment and development in the early 17th century and after attracting the curiosity and interest of well-known masters including Carracci in Italy and Diego Velasquez in Spain, continued to receive increasing interest from artists and was also supported by a market that was strengthened in this regard, enjoying growing popularity among collectors.


The painting

This painting is the work of one of masters of the genre, the Flemish Pieter Van Bloemen, also called Standaart due to his tendency to paint military scenes, but who was also appreciated for popular themes. It was in Flemish territory that the genre painting of the 16th century was established and began to develop: an art form that focused on themes from daily life and the common people, as this image shows which also reveals to us how Standaart tended to use animals as subjects in his work.

The painting is signed with the initials “P.V.B” in the lower central part of the piece.