Attributed to Peeter Sion

Attributed to PEETER SION (Flanders, 1649 - 1695).
"Queen Esther".
Oil on copper.
It has frame of the nineteenth century.
Measurements: 53 x 74 cm; 74 x 92 cm (frame).
The theme, very frequent in the Flemish Baroque painting, allows to develop scenes of great scenic apparatus and compositional richness. Painted in oil on copper, the painting stands out for its meticulousness and chromatic brilliance, usual characteristics in this type of support. On the right side of the composition appears Esther, richly attired, seated on a throne within an architectural space of classical character. The scene is framed by curtains in the upper part that reinforce the theatrical sense of the whole.
The quality of the work can be appreciated in the complexity of the composition and the detailed treatment of the figures. A multitude of characters surround the protagonist, all carefully differentiated in faces, gestures and attitudes. From the stylistic point of view, the work is in the Flemish Baroque tradition, characterized by a taste for theatricality, movement and abundance of detail. The use of classical architecture as a background adds solemnity, while the staggered arrangement of the figures intensifies the sensation of depth and visual spectacle.
A Flemish painter of the Baroque period, active in Antwerp, Peeter Sion was master of the Guild of St. Luke between 1649 and 1650, and later dean of the same between 1682 and 1683. His style, of great interest, is in the line of Francken II and A. W. Forchondo. His work, which to date has only been located in Spain, is characterized in the first place by the quality of his drawing, as well as by the great space occupied by the figures in the composition. There is also a clear tendency in his language towards white modeling, tearing the shadows in the round. The narrative character is also evident in all his production, mainly devoted to the stories of the Old and New Testament. In his scenes, Sion often adds sequences from history, as is so common in the Franckens' work. His works are often found in private collections, which suggests that they were most likely imported through trading houses for a clientele with connections to the Netherlands.