Philips from Konicnk

PHILIPS DE KONICNK (Amsterdam, 1619- 1688).
"Tavern characters".
Oil on panel.
Presents informative label on the back.
Measurements: 22 x 18 cm; 32 x 28 cm (frame).
In this scene of interior of tavern, Philip de Koninck proposes a composition of marked intimate character, where the relation between the two personages articulates the narrative nucleus of the work. One of them, located in the foreground and with his back to the viewer, introduces an interesting effect of depth and deferred participation. The space is constructed with sobriety, focusing the attention on the implicit dialogue between the figures and on the collected atmosphere of the interior, more suggestive than descriptive.
Formed in the context of the Dutch Golden Age and linked to the environment of Rembrandt van Rijn, Koninck developed a painting characterized mainly by its broad panoramic landscapes of golden light and high perspective, where the sky acquires an essential role. Although his production is mostly landscapes, he also painted genre scenes and portraits, in which his interest in the observation of daily life and the construction of plausible environments can be perceived. Towards the end of his life, he stopped painting regularly and died in 1688 in his hometown. Curiously, his work was highly valued during his lifetime, but then fell into relative oblivion until it was revalued by the modern historiography of Dutch art.