Pieter Neefs II
1620 - after 1675
The Interior of a Gothic Church with Mass being celebrated in a Side Chapel
Medium:
Oil on Panel
Category:
Dimensions:
30.5(h) x 25.5(w) cms
Framed Dimensions:
41(h) x 36(w) cms
Signed:
Signed lower right on the Pillar: 'Nefs'
Essay:
Pieter Neefs the Younger studied painting under the auspices of his father in Antwerp. His father had been a highly regarded and accomplished painter of architectural interiors and the tradition continued with his son. Neefs the Younger is known to have collaborated with a number of different artists, not least his own father, which can lead to attributional confusion. Frans Francken III, David Teniers the Younger and Bonaventura Peeters were the other known painters who provided the staffage to his interiors. His output was as large as that of his father and the many comparable examples of his work provide us with valuable insight into his artistic development within the genre.
It appears that Neefs never entered the Antwerp Guild despite his long artistic career. This seems unusual, but it may have been because of his close working relationship with his father that he was never admitted.
Provenance:
Private collection, USA