Artwork
Family Portrait
Family Portrait is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Daniel Schultz. It dates from 1664 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1664, this oil painting by Daniel Schultz presents an interior gathering of family members and a variety of animals. The composition balances figures across the room, with a richly dressed man at a chair, children, a woman, and several pets, all set against a backdrop that includes a column and a potted plant, lending depth to the scene.
Subject & Meaning
The central male figure in a red, gold‑trimmed coat is flanked by a boy holding a raptor, while a woman with three children and a dog occupy the left side.
The work portrays a domestic tableau that emphasizes status and leisure. The central male figure in a red, gold‑trimmed coat is flanked by a boy holding a raptor, while a woman with three children and a dog occupy the left side. A second man, another boy, and a perched monkey on the arm complete the group, suggesting a narrative of familial hierarchy and the ownership of exotic creatures as symbols of wealth.
Technique & Style
Schultz employs the Flemish Baroque vocabulary of vivid colour, meticulous detail, and dynamic arrangement. The oil medium allows for a glossy finish on fabrics and a tactile rendering of animal fur and feathers. Light falls softly across the room, highlighting textures and creating a sense of three‑dimensional space within the painted architecture.
History & Provenance
The painting entered the collection of the State Hermitage Museum, where it remains on display. Schultz, active in the Polish‑Lithuanian Commonwealth, was known for portraiture of aristocratic patrons, and this piece reflects his reputation for integrating human subjects with animal motifs in a single, cohesive composition.
Context
Situated within the broader Flemish Baroque movement, the work reflects contemporary interests in realism, opulent dress, and the display of exotic fauna collected through trade and travel. Schultz’s oeuvre often combined portraiture with hunting scenes, and this family portrait continues that tradition by integrating a bird of prey and a monkey as markers of the sitter’s social standing.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jerzy (Georg) Daniel Schultz known also as Daniel Schultz the Younger (c. 1615 – 1683) was a prominent painter of the Baroque era, born and active in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. He painted many Polish and…
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