Nicolas de Liemaker (attr.) - Mary with Christ and Anna

17th century Old Master painting depicting the Infant Christ with Mary and St. Anne attributed to Nicolas de Liemaker
 
The artist of the present work wonderfully captured the loving gaze of Maria, looking in awe at her child. One can sense the tenderness and love in her eyes. The eyes of Christ appears to be filled with wisdom and love and a finely painted aura crowns his and his mother's heads. St. Anne, Mary's mother, gently holds the infant whilst gazing adoringly at him. The painting is not only a beautiful depiction of Christ and his mother and grandmother, but also a sweet image of the tender bond between a mother's and their children. The vibrant and soft colours of the fabric create a soft cocoon around the figures and seem to further emphasis the beauty and importance of the depicted scenery and its protagonists. 
 
Nicolaas de Liemaecker (also spelled as Liemaker or Liemackere) was a Flemish painter born in Ghent in 1601. He was also known under the name Nicolaas Roose. His father was Jacobus de Liemaecker, a painter upon glass. Nicolaas is reported to have been trained by his father and Gaspard de Crayer II (1), an apprenticeship with Otto Van Veen has also been suggested. In 1624 he worked at the Court of the Bishop of Paderborn and for Ferdinand of Bavaria. He later returned to his native city, where he focused on religious and historical paintings. He was a very accomplished and celebrated artist who attained a high rank in his profession. He witnessed the baptisms of Pieter and Janne-Marie Van Hulle in 1639 and 1642 (respectively) (2). He passed away in 1643. 
 
Size of the canvas: ca. 97 by 99 cms and the total dimensions with its custom-made frame are ca. 111 by 113 cms.
 
 
Literature:
(1) De Maere, J. & Webbes, M., Martin, Jennifer A. (ed.) Illustrated dictionary of 17th century Flemish painters (3 vols.), Brussels: La Renaissance du Livre (1994)
(2) Roggen, D., Pauwels, H. & De Schryver, A., 'Het Caravaggisme te Gent', Gentse bijdragen tot de kunstgeschiedenis 12 (1949-1950), pp. 255-321
*Groenendijk, Pieter, Beknopt biografisch lexicon van Zuid- en Noord-Nederlandse schilders, graveurs, glasschilders, tapijtwevers et cetera van ca. 1350 tot ca. 1720, Leiden: Primavera (2008)
*Thieme, Ulrich & Becker, Felix, Allgemeines Lexikon der bildenden Künstler von der Antike bis zur Gegenwart, Band 23, Leipzig: Engelmann (1929)
*Turner, Jane (ed.) The dictionary of art (34 vols.), London: Macmillan; New York: Grove (1996)
 
Provenance: 
Private collection USA
Art trade USA