An allegory of Love - Carel De Moor (1655 - 1738)

Oil on panel

?CAREL DE MOOR
Leiden 1655 - Warmond 1738
An Allegory of Love
Oil on panel

Provenance: Christie’s, Amsterdam, 13 October 2009, lot 49 with Johnny van Haeften, London

Literature: Pamela Fowler and Piet Bakker, Carel de Moor 1655 – 1738: His life and work, a catalogue raissoné. Primavera Pers, Leiden 2024. P124

Dimensions: 70 x 51 cm, 88 x 70 cm (framed)

The scene depicted, a ‘vrolijk gezelschap’ or Merry Company, resonates with the flourishing genre popular in both the Dutch Republic and Flanders. Echoing the opulence of Peter Paul Rubens’s Garden of Love, the composition features sculptural and architectural elements, notably an ornate gateway reminiscent of the present picture's architectural motifs. De Moor embellishes this scene with river gods atop the archway, possibly inspired by those adorning the Belvedere in the Vatican.
Further sources of inspiration can be traced to engravings such as the Farnese Flora by Jan de Bisschop's Signorum Veterum Icones. Yet, amidst these influences, the artist's ingenuity shines through, particularly evident in the invention of the statue of Eros on the left of the composition. Through his adept blending of classical motifs and inventive flair, Carel de Moor crafts a tableau that transcends mere genre-painting, inviting viewers into a world of refined elegance and artistic sophistication.