Nicolaes Maes

{"Id":2355,"Name":"Nicolaes Maes","Biography":"\u003Cstrong\u003EMAES, NICOLAES (1632-1693)\u003C/strong\u003E, Dutch painter, was born at Dordrecht, and went about 1650 to Amsterdam, where he entered \u003Ca href=\u0022/asp/database/art.asp?aid=92\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 class=\u0022link\u0022\u003ERembrandt\u0027s\u003C/a\u003E studio. Before his return to Dordrecht in 1654 Maes painted a few Rembrandtesque genre pictures, with life-size figures and in a deep glowing scheme of color, like the \u003Cu\u003EReverie\u003C/u\u003E at the \u003Ca href=\u0022http://www.rijksmuseum.nl/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 class=\u0022link\u0022\u003ERyks Museum in Amsterdam\u003C/a\u003E, the \u003Cu\u003ECard Players\u003C/u\u003E at the \u003Ca href=\u0022http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 class=\u0022link\u0022\u003ENational Gallery\u003C/a\u003E, and the \u003Cu\u003EChildren with a Goat Carriage\u003C/u\u003E, belonging to Baroness N. de Rothschild. So closely did his early style resemble that of Rembrandt, that the last-named picture, and other canvases in the Leipzig and Budapest galleries and in the collection of Lord Radnor, were or are still ascribed to Rembrandt. In his best period, from 1655 to 1665, Maes devoted himself to domestic genre on a smaller scale, retaining to a great extent the magic of color he had learnt from Rembrandt. Only on rare occasions did he treat scriptural subjects, as in the earl of Denbigh\u0027s \u003Cu\u003EHagar\u0027s Departure\u003C/u\u003E, which has been ascribed to Rembrandt. His favorite subjects were women spinning, or reading the Bible, or preparing a meal. In 1665 he went to Antwerp, where he remained till 1678, in which year he probably returned to Amsterdam. His Antwerp period coincides with a complete change in style and subject. He devoted himself almost exclusively to portraiture, and abandoned the intimacy and glowing color harmonies of his earlier work for a careless elegance which suggests the influence of \u003Ca href=\u0022/asp/database/art.asp?aid=121\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 class=\u0022link\u0022\u003EVan Dyck\u003C/a\u003E. So great indeed was the change, that it gave rise to the theory of the existence of another Maes, of Brussels. Maes is well represented at the National Gallery by five paintings: \u003Cu\u003EThe Cradle\u003C/u\u003E, \u003Cu\u003EThe Dutch Housewife\u003C/u\u003E, \u003Cu\u003EThe Idle Servant\u003C/u\u003E, \u003Cu\u003EThe Card Players\u003C/u\u003E, and a man\u0027s portrait. At Amsterdam, besides the splendid examples to be found at the Ryks Museum, is the \u003Cu\u003EInquisitive Servant\u003C/u\u003E of the Six collection. At \u003Ca href=\u0022http://www.royal.gov.uk/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 class=\u0022link\u0022\u003EBuckingham Palace\u003C/a\u003E is \u003Cu\u003EThe Listening Girl\u003C/u\u003E (repetitions exist), and at \u003Ca href=\u0022http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/apsley/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 class=\u0022link\u0022\u003EApsley House\u003C/a\u003E \u003Cu\u003ESelling Milk\u003C/u\u003E and \u003Cu\u003EThe Listener\u003C/u\u003E. Other notable examples are at the Berlin, Brussels, St Petersburg, the \u003Ca href=\u0022http://www.mauritshuis.nl/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 class=\u0022link\u0022\u003EHague\u003C/a\u003E, Frankfort, Hanover and Munich galleries.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cu\u003ESource:\u003C/u\u003E\u003C/strong\u003E Entry on the artist in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http://91.1911encyclopedia.org/M/MA/MAES_NICOLAS.htm\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E1911 Edition Encyclopedia\u003C/a\u003E.\u003Cp\u003E","Awards":null,"HasAlbums":false,"HasPortraits":true,"HasRelationships":true,"HasArticles":false,"HasDepictedPlaces":false,"HasLetters":false,"HasLibraryItems":false,"HasProducts":false,"HasSignatures":false,"HasVideos":false,"HasMapLocations":true,"TotalArtworks":25}