Courtly Family

This portrait of an aristocratic family of six has an interesting composition: a diagonal runs from the father past the son and the elder daughter to the youngest child; the elder daughter simultaneously forms the starting point of a second diagonal to the mother in the background. The arrangement of the family members therefore appears to fill three-dimensional space. The daughter’s bright blue dress plays an essential role. Even though all family members are turning their heads in different directions, all of them look at the observer, so their postures and gestures give a rather stiff and unnatural impression, which is typical of the period. At first sight the viewer is reminded of pictures painted by Martin van Meytens (also “Mytens”), who was a virtuoso in representing surfaces and was later to become the favourite court painter of Maria Theresia. However, the disproportionate and slightly pasty hands make it impossible to ascribe this miniature to Meytens. Nevertheless, it is most probable that the actual artist knew some of his works.

D. O.