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151
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Adam Frans Van der Meulen (1632-1690), after the studio of
T…
See original version (French)
151
-
Adam Frans Van der Meulen (1632-1690), after the studio of
T…
See original version (French)
Estimate €10,000 - €15,000
Voluntary lot
Description
Adam Frans Van der Meulen (1632-1690), after the studio of
The Defeat of the Count of Marsin near the Bruges Canal
Oil on canvas.
17th century
H_73,5 cm W_92,5 cm
Faded, minor restorations.
Bears the number 55852 lower right.
Related works:
- Charles Le Brun and Adam Frans van der Meulen, Défaite du comte de Marsin près du canal de Bruges, tapestry from the History of the King hanging, collection of the Mobilier national.
- Adam Frans van der Meulen, Défaite du comte de Marsin près du canal de Bruges, oil on canvas, 50 x 80 cm, Paris, Musée du Louvre, inv. 1483.
- Adam Frans van der Meulen, Défaite du comte de Marsin près du canal de Bruges, oil on canvas, 57 x 73 cm, sale Boisgirard-Antonini, 10/12/2018, Paris, lot n°23
The work depicts the victory of the French armies over the Spanish troops commanded by the Count of Marsin during the battle of 31 August 1667, near the Bruges canal, the last major episode of the triumphant Flanders campaign led by Louis XIV during the War of Devolution (1667 1668). The subject is traditionally known as The Defeat of the Count of Marsin, commander of the Spanish army near the Bruges canal.
This 17th-century painting is probably a studio version of the autograph composition in the Musée du Louvre, which is itself considered to be a preparatory sketch for the large drawing executed jointly by Charles Le Brun and Adam Frans van der Meulen: Le Brun for the figures, Van der Meulen for the landscape and the military setting.
The artist chose the moment when Louis XIV ordered Marshal de Bellefonds to attack the Spanish forces. In the foreground, the sovereign, mounted on a white horse and depicted in a three-quarter view, points to the battlefield with his commanding cane. Beside him, Marshal de Bellefonds, his headdress removed as a sign of respect, is listening to the King's instructions. Behind them are several figures from the royal general staff, including the Grand Condé, recognisable by his aquiline profile and his empanelled hat, and the Marshal de Créqui.
The background opens onto a vast military scene alive with cavalry battles, cannon smoke and the movement of troops crossing the canal to attack the Spanish army. The contrast between the shadows of the undergrowth and the concentrated light on the royal figure contributes to the heroic exaltation of the monarch, in the style of Louis Quatorzian propaganda painting.
This composition is part of the vast iconographic programme of the Histoire du Roi, a series commissioned by Louis XIV for the Manufacture royale des Gobelins to celebrate the main events of the beginning of his reign. Under the direction of Charles Le Brun, fourteen episodes were translated into monumental tapestries, including several devoted to the War of Devolution. Alongside these models, which were destined for the Gobelins, Van der Meulen and his workshop produced numerous painted replicas designed to promote the sovereign's triumphal image and glorify French military power.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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