Tátrai Vilmos szerk.: A Szépművészeti Múzeum közleményei 90-91.(Budapest, 1999)

EMBER, ILDIKÓ: Some Minor Masters on the Peripheries of Rembrandt's Circle

several variants of his Hermit Praying in Front of a Cave, which was probably modeled after G. Dou's work on the same theme in Dresden.

35 The 1647 example

36 represents a rather individualistic variant, which in many respects closely resembles the Budapest Holy Family, such as the identity of the male model, the formation of the setting and the emphasis on still-life details, making it likely that the Budapest painting is datable to the mid-1640s. Frequently seen subjects in Van Spreeuwen's oeuvre include The Painter's Studio and The Savant 's Study.

31 The combination of these two is featured in a painting of his at a London auction,

38 in which, on an easel in the middle of the room, we may see a larger version of the Budapest Holy Family painting (fig. 75). Thus this composition is perhaps not quite as "atypical" in this genre-painter's oeuvre as we would have believed on the basis of our thus far incomplete knowledge of his work. Willem de Poorter (1608 - after 1648) of Haarlem also worked under the influence of Rembrandt's early, Leiden period, although there is no proof that the two ever lived in the same city. However, Poorter must have studied the great master's works closely, and he endeavored to follow his style, combining it with stylistic elements from the previous, pre-Rembrandtist generation. This aspect of his activity has been dealt with fairly extensively in the literature.

39 But we know little about his Italianate grottopaintings, mentioned in the old biographies.

40 W. de Poorter has also used the cavern setting as background in "Vanitas"-type still-lifes, the best known example being in the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Amsterdam.

41 Likewise, for the settings of mythological and literary narratives he also made use of the combination of the cave and the Italianate landscape. This compositional type is represented by two signed pictures at the Royal Museum in Copenhagen,

42 and a rare depiction from Xenophanes' Cyropaedia, formerly with a fake Rembrandt signature, but now identified as a W. de Poorter.

43 However, we know of few paintings by him where the landscape is the 35 Gemäldegalerie, Inv. No. 1711. It is usually dated to around 1635. Spreeuwen's version from 1637: Copenhagen, Statens Museum for Kunst, Inv. No. Sp.408, see Sumowski, op. cit. (Note 1) No. 1708. 36 Panel, 44.5 x 35 cm, signed lower left: Spreeuwen 164(7?), St. Peter Port, Daan Cevat Collection. Exhibited: Leiden, Stedelijk Museum de Lakenhai 1968, No. 42, see Sumowski, op. cit. (Note 1) No. 1711.-Another version dated 1647 auctioned at Sotheby's, London, 16.05. 1984. No. 103. 37 See Sumowski, op. cit. (Note 1) 1983ff, Nos. 1704, 1705, 1709, 1710, 1702. The influence of G. Dou and the young Rembrandt is obvious on these too. 38 Phillips, 02.07.1991, No. 69. Panel, 48 x 43 cm. 39 See Bauch, op. cit. (Note 30) Note 234; Sumowski, op. cit. (Note 1 Drawings 9. pp. 4791-4806; Sumowski, op. cit. (Note 1) 4. pp. 2385-88, Nos. 1602-1654; Broos, B. in The Dictionary of Art, 25 (1996)pp. 230-231. 40 See Wurzbach, op. cit. (Note 9) 2, p. 344; Thieme-Becker Lexikon, 21, 1933, pp. 258-59. - The sentence referring to this has also been accepted by Sumowski, op. cit. (Note 1) p. 2385. 41 Signed: W.D.P.f. 1636, Inv. No. 1674. 42 Mercury and Proserpine, panel 55 x 68.5 cm. (Cat. 1951, No. 553) and The Blessing of Peace, panel 59 x 74 cm (Cat. 1951, No. 552), both illustrated in Sumowski, op. cit. (Note 1) Nos. 1611-12. 43 The Story of Abradatas and Panthea, signed with monogram, Art Dealer J. Schlichte Bergen, Amsterdam, 1990, cat.no. 22-23. See Sumowski, op. cit. (Note 1)6. Nachträge 2, p. 4039, No. 2421.