Nicolaes Maes (1634-1693)

 Portrait of Colonel Rupert Bridge in Armour with a Black Pageboy

This large and impressive 17th century Dutch Old Master portrait oil painting with good provenance is by Nicolaes Maes. Painted circa 1680 it is a three-quarter length standing portrait of Colonel Rupert Bridge in black armour in a landscape with a black servant. His brown curly wig cascades down his chest either side of a lacy cravat. One hand is on his left hip, the other holds a parchment or map. Although front on, his face is turned slightly to his right in a disdainful way and his pale face looks distinctly superior. To the Colonel's left and in the corner of the painting is a small young black servant, or page boy. He is gazing up at the Colonel and the whites of his eyes are very apparent. He is wearing a decorative cloth around his shoulders and appears to have a collar around his neck. The positioning and body language of the two figures emphasises the Colonel's social status and wealth.

Until the 19th century, the most common role for black people in art was that of servant or slave. It was considered a status symbol for wealthy Europeans to own or employ an exotic, well-dressed black servant. It was increasingly fashionable, and a form of social currency from the seventeenth century onwards, for the Black servant in the British aristocratic home to be shown in portraits. This inclusion was a status sign of wealth, and having portraits created was a public way to record these lives. These portraits are not uncommon for this era and they encapsulate the seventeenth-century fashion for aristocrats to be presented next to Black individuals, as a way to demonstrate their social and economic status, and whiteness. Showing minimal facial features obscures the evidence of the Black individual in apparently white spaces, and simultaneously demonstrates the whiteness of the aristocracy. The Black presence in these various portraits demonstrated the establishments involvement in the transatlantic slave trade.

The detail and brushwork are superb and this is an excellent example of a 17th century Dutch Old Master portrait and of Maes skill as a portraitist.
 
Provenance: Christie's, London, Important English Pictures, 22 November 1985, lot 97A
                     Dorotheum, Kunstauktion 1631 Alte Meister, 7 November 1991, lot 107
 
Condition. Oil on canvas, image size is 48 inches by 38 inches and in good condition.
 
Frame. House in a very ornate carved Sunderland or Auricular frame. Framed size is 55 inches by 48 inches and in good condition.
 
 
BIOGRAPHY
Nicolaes Maes (1634-1693) was a Dutch painter known for his genre scenes, portraits, religious compositions and the occasional still life. A pupil of Rembrandt in Amsterdam, he returned to work in his native city of Dordrecht for 20 years. In the latter part of his career he returned to Amsterdam where he became the leading portrait painter of his time. Maes contributed to the development of genre painting in the Netherlands and was the most prominent portrait painter working in Amsterdam in the final three decades of the 17th century.

Click the link below for this painting
https://www.richardtaylorfineart.com/gallery/new/maes/portrait-of-colonel-rupert-bridge-in-armour-with-a-black-pageboy

The theme for Black History Month UK 2025 is “Standing Firm in Power and Pride,” a powerful tribute to the resilience, strength, and unwavering commitment to progress that defines the Black community across the globe. This year, the theme highlights the profound contributions made by Black people be they leaders, activists, or pioneers who have shaped history, while also looking towards a future of continued empowerment, unity, and growth.