Attributed to Frans Xaver Hendrik Verbeeck

Attributed to FRANÇOIS XAVER HENRI VERBEECK (Antwerp, 1686 - 1755).
"Elegant retinue in a garden in front of a Renaissance castle".
Oil on canvas.
Relined.
Measurements: 41 x 54 cm; 61 x 79 cm (frame).

Frans Xaver Hendrik Verbeeck immerses us here in a bucolic scene, in agreement with the "gallant parties" popular in the European painting of the time, but that stands out specially by the rich narrative that impregnates each detail. The work presents a composition that unfolds on multiple planes, inviting the viewer to explore both the interaction of the main characters and the surrounding landscape.

In the foreground, a group of elegantly dressed figures forms the main focus of the composition. The characters wear sophisticated attire that reflects the aristocratic fashion of the 18th century. Women in satin gowns and feathered hats are accompanied by gentlemen in gorgets and sumptuous velvet suits. Some of them play lutes. The interaction between them is relaxed and polite. To the left, a young man with a violin and another figure in a boat observe the scene, acting as a visual bridge to the rest of the landscape. Behind the group, the scene opens up to an expansive landscape. Peasants are seen working in a garden outlined with hedges. The landscape is dominated on the right side by an imposing Renaissance-style castle, with its characteristic towers and gabled roofs. The architecture of the castle contrasts with the more rugged nature and bare trees on the left, creating an interesting visual balance. The sky, with dramatic clouds opening to reveal a clearer light on the horizon, adds depth and a certain melancholy air to the overall atmosphere of the painting.

Verbeeck combines the meticulous detail of the clothing and objects, characteristic of the Flemish school, with the "fête galante" theme popularized by contemporary French artists. The scene can be read as a meditation on music and ephemeral pleasures, set in a landscape that evokes both the grandeur of the past (the ruins and the castle) and the serene beauty of nature. The color palette is rich and varied, dominated by earthy and warm tones that unify the composition.

François Xaver Henri Verbeeck was a Flemish painter known mainly for his genre scenes and paintings of gallant groups. His mother Anna de Goos and stepfather Michiel Mettepenningen allowed him to begin his artistic training as a pupil of Jan Baptist de Bie in 1701. He became master of the Guild of St. Luke in Antwerp in 1709. He was dean of the Chamber of Painters of the Guild of St. Luke. He worked in Antwerp between 1710 and 1755. He executed a large scene of merry company of the Antwerp fencers' guild, which contains a portrait of J. B. Vermoelen, abbot of St. Michael's, and portraits of the guild members. He is considered a follower of Balthasar van den Bossche. Verbeeck's genre works are mainly inspired by the merry company style and usually depict a group of men and women playing music, drinking and playing cards. Some of the paintings of merry troupes are allegorical and represent one of the senses. Examples are The Sense of Taste; Elegant Company Eating and Drinking and The Sense of Hearing; Elegant Company Making Music in an Interior (auctioned at Christie's on November 6, 2002 in Amsterdam, lot 34). Some of his paintings are kept in Guernsey Museum & Art Gallery.