Jan de Bray

Purchased by the father of the present owners from Frost and Reed Gallery, London, circa 1969.

The catalogue and cover illustrations are poor and unrepresentative; the colours are richer and stronger than suggested and much less blue-red in tone. The canvas has an old relining which is still reasonably sound. The canvas has been cleaned and restored in the past. Inspection under ultra violet light reveals quite extensive careful restoration to much of the figures, presumably to disguise old areas of wear. These include all the faces, especially those of the children, the hair, notably that of the man, the head of the dog, the instruments and much of the man's slashed red doublet. There are some old but minor repaired damages in the background, for example one of 2 cms upper right and another slightly larger to the right of the children, but these are barely visible. The restoration is quite well carried out and is not discoloured or obtrusive to the naked eye. The varnish is clear and even. This lot is offered in a later gilt wood frame with oak leaf and ribbon twist mouldings, in reasonable overall condition, some minor chips and losses.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This unpublished and unrecorded early work by Jan de Bray perfectly illustrates the two strands embodied in the artist’s paintings: the local realist style and the measured gravitas of the classical tradition. As a genre scene, this music lesson is almost entirely unique within De Bray’s œuvre as his work usually consisted of either portraits of identified sitters, or multi-figure religious, historical or classical subjects.

The overall tone of this composition is far from the light-hearted musical gatherings depicted by de Bray’s contemporaries. He has imbued his musician with a serious calm reminiscent of an antique model, whilst also effortlessly realising the polished finish of the worn fingerboard of the viol, the matt wool of the dog’s coat, and the spatial effect created by the polished convex back of the upturned lute that juts out towards the viewer. Whilst the children lean in towards one another and continue to sing, one beating out the rhythm with a raised hand, the violinist turns to us with an open and confrontational look, as if observing our reaction to their music, making us a kind of reticent listener as well as an observer of their practice. 

In this work not only has the artist created a convincing and atmospheric ‘genre’ piece, but in his insightful and sensitive depiction of the musician, de Bray has produced a compelling portrait (albeit that we do not know the man who posed for him). Jan de Bray is often cited as having taken the position as Haarlem’s favourite portrait painter during the second half of the seventeenth century, following the death of Frans Hals in 1666. The influence of Hals is felt here in the cool silver-grey tonality of the violinist’s face, although this is unashamedly broken by the lavish use of vermillion in his slashed doublet, which lends an impression of robust individualism and creativity to the protagonist.  

This painting is dated eight years after De Bray’s earliest recorded work, a period of his early maturity thought by Hans Schneider to be when the artist’s best qualities are in evidence.¹ The painter spent most of his career painting exclusively in Haarlem, bar a two-year stint in Amsterdam between 1686 and 1688. Apart from his work as a portraitist, Jan went on to become a painter of classicised allegorical and historical subjects, earning him the praise of ‘the pearl in Haarlem’s crown’ from his biographer Houbraken.²

1. H. Schneider, ‘Jan de Bray’s Portrait Works’ in The Burlington Magazine, London 1921, vol. XXXIX, no. 221, p. 67.
2. Arnold Houbraken, De groote schouburgh der Nederlantsche konstschilders en schilderessen, The Hague 1976, p. 176.