Philippe-Jacques van Bree

PHILLIPPE-JACQUES VAN BREE (Antwerp, 1786 - Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, 1871).
"Praying Madonna".
Oil on panel.
Signed and located (Rome) in the lower right corner.
Measurements: 100 x 81 cm.
Painting deeply representative of the Italian period of the artist, made during his stays in Rome, when his pictorial language reached a maturity marked by direct dialogue with the great classical and Renaissance tradition. The composition deals with a devotional theme of Christian roots, the Virgin and Child in prayerful attitude, reinterpreted from a neoclassical sensibility presenting the people as the direct protagonist. The scene is articulated around an architectural altar of clear Roman inspiration, before which are arranged figures of popular character, treated with a serene and restrained humanity.
Aesthetically, Van Bree combines the academic rigor learned in Paris, under the influence of Girodet and Ingres, with a warm palette and meticulous attention to textiles, gestures and emotional expression, traits acquired during his prolonged contact with Italy. The figures present a soft, balanced and elegant modeling, while the hallmarks of light and shadow provide narrative depth without excessive drama.The work is thus part of a production inspired by Italian painting, where Van Bree reinterprets the great models of the past.

Philippe-Jacques van Bree was a Belgian painter of the 19th century, trained at the Academy of Antwerp and in Paris with Anne-Louis Girodet. He cultivated historical painting, genre scenes and devotional subjects, achieving early recognition with works of historical subject matter, including Mary Stuart, now in the Louvre Museum.

His long stays in Italy, especially in Rome, decisively marked his style, where he integrated academic rigor with the influence of the Italian classical tradition. He settled permanently in Brussels in 1834, and developed a more intimate and refined production, inspired by Italian models, which consolidated his place in the European art scene of the 19th century.