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| | Old Master Paintings & Drawings IV |
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| An Allegory of Africa Oil on canvas 52 3/4 x 45 1/2 inches (134 x 115.6 cm) | |
Karl van Mander was born in Delft and moved at a young age to Copenhagen. He eventually became the court painter to King Christian IV of Denmark at whose behest he visited the workshops of both Rubens and Rembrandt. As a result, his paintings are notable for their extraordinary brushwork and brilliant sense of color. The Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen has recently acquired a painting of a black man of similar dimensions. Van Mander had the opportunity to study Moors at first hand as two, Cuthi and Mari, were employed by Christian IV at the royal court from 1622. These had been brought to Copenhagen by Ove Gedde who had sailed to the East Indies in 1618 on a mission to establish trade links in the area. The artist had a particular interest in exotica as Steward of the Cabinet of Curiosities to the King, and the jewelry seen in the present picture was most likely from the royal collection. | ||