Gillis van Tilborgh: A Picture Gallery (1660-1670)

(Spencer Museum of Art, Lawrence, USA)

A painting by the Flemish artist Gillis van Tilborgh (1625-1678). Group portraits were a specialty of Tilborgh and in this case he has combined it with a so-called 'picture gallery'. A group of 5 men are situated in an interior room which is filled with paintings, a violin and sculptures. The purpose of these type of paintings is not always clear. The room could be an art dealer’s collection, a private collection or the interior of an artist’s studio. On this painting the third man on the right is standing before an easel and has a painter's palette so this could be an artist. Who the other 4 men are is also unclear - art collectors, patrons, fellow artists or people who want to shows their interest in art (the art in the painting is in that case a 'virtual collection). Painting from 1660-1670