Lot Essay
The sitters are traditionally identified as two generations of the Cremers family (Memoires, op.cit.): Jacques-Jean Cremers (1736-after 1803) is standing in the centre, in a red coat, with his wife Anna-Maria-Lucia Heerkens (1737-1801), in a white dress with pink bows. Jacob-Johannes Cremers, the father of Jacques-Jean is seated on the left side between the artist and an ecclesiast. His wife, in a blue dress and holding a lute, is seated to the right side, together with the parents of Anna-Maria-Lucia Heerkens, Anna Maria Meyknecht with a harp, and Eppo Johannes Heerkens playing the violin. The second painting depicts a scene from the wedding of the parents of Jacques-Jean Cremers, Jacob-Johannes Cremers (+ 1762) and Cornelia Johanna Nicolai (+ 1786).
The present pair of paintings is a rare and important example of Balthasar Beschey's portraiture, which has been in the family of the present owners since its commission. In the wedding scene Beschey adopts the compostion of David Teniers' famous family concert in the Staatliche Museen, Berlin.
The present pair of paintings is a rare and important example of Balthasar Beschey's portraiture, which has been in the family of the present owners since its commission. In the wedding scene Beschey adopts the compostion of David Teniers' famous family concert in the Staatliche Museen, Berlin.