Casimir van den Daele

CASIMIR VAN DEN DAELE (Belgium, 1818-1880)
"Betrothal".
Oil on canvas.
Signed in the lower right corner.
Good general condition.
Measurements: 55 x 44 cm; 77 x 67 x 10 cm (frame).

Scene of interior of costumbrista character that represents an intimate moment of the betrothal, treated with the narrative meticulousness typical of the Flemish painting of the XIX century. The composition is articulated around the three main figures, carefully illuminated, while the domestic environment contributes to reinforce the bourgeois and plausible character of the scene.

The detail in the textures, especially in the fabrics and the material qualities, creates a cozy and theatrical atmosphere. The emotional closeness of the scene refers directly to the tradition of Dutch genre painting of the Golden Age, reinterpreted under nineteenth-century sensibility. The presence of the old man, in an accomplice attitude, introduces the figure of the mediator, usual in this type of scenes.

Casimir van den Daele was a Belgian painter active in the 19th century, specialized in genre scenes and interiors of historical inspiration. His work is part of the Flemish revival, highly appreciated in the European market of the time. His paintings are preserved in public collections, such as the National Museum in Warsaw, which confirms his institutional recognition.