17th-century Flemish School
The mismatched couple
Oil on canvas
75 x 96 cm. - Framed 96 x 118 cm.
Full details of the work (click HERE)
The curious subject depicted in the canvas presented here belongs to the tradition of the so-called "mismatched couples," a very fashionable theme in Northern Renaissance painting, especially in the German and Flemish areas.
The theme, which enjoyed widespread popularity and great success among collectors of the time, depicted deliberately grotesque couples, often formed by a pleasing young woman accompanied by an old man with a repugnant but wealthy appearance.
Alongside the numerous examples of Lucas Cranach and his school, we also find this subject in the work of Dutch masters such as Lucas van Leyden, Jacob Cornelisz, Quinten, and Jan Metsys. And it is precisely to a work by Jan Massys (Antwerp, circa 1510 – 1575), kept in the art collection of the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm, Sweden (https://collection.nationalmuseum.se/sv/collection/item/17511/), that our author was inspired to reproduce the painting with variations.
The works, in addition to appearing at first glance amusing and satirical, invited the observer to delve into their intriguing narration, being able to derive several moralizing messages.
The main idea is as old as humanity itself but still relevant: an old man is enchanted by a considerably younger and beautiful woman who is clearly disinterested in him, but not in his money.
It is interesting to note how in such paintings the deception is witnessed at the exact moment it is taking place, allowing the observer to immediately grasp the moral meaning: it is clear how these couples are devoid of a true feeling of love, but their being together is driven by a double advantage (carnal for the old man, economic for the young woman).
In particular, we see here a beautiful young woman who, while making herself available to the desires of the rich old man, takes advantage of the situation to keep his head turned, preventing him from noticing the accomplice intent on robbing him.
The interesting fact is that it is not an allegorical representation that conceals a hidden meaning; in this case, the action, the very moment of the fraud, which here becomes apparent, is represented. Therefore, no particular symbolic knowledge is needed to enjoy the work: an aspect dictated by the need to make such paintings more easily readable and therefore sellable to the collectors of the time.
The message for the observer appears clear: this kind of relationship leads only to depravity and mockery, to the loss of all dignity, highlighting how these behaviors make one ridiculous. Today, we no longer pay much attention to it; we have become all too accustomed to seeing images of these modern 'mismatched' couples, but several centuries ago, art, in addition to its aesthetic value, had a moralizing one.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The painting is sold complete with a pleasing frame and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic sheet.
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