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Notes
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We don't know who these people are, but they wear the restrained costume of prosperous, Protestant Dutch people in the 1660s. Either woman could be the man’s wife; it has also been suggested that the younger woman is a maid, or the couple’s daughter. There may be some clues. The younger woman holds a rose, perhaps a symbol of love, and points out of the painting; she looks down with an intent expression. The man rests one hand on the globe, which is possibly a symbol of faith, and points at the fruit on the table with the other. The older woman holds a peach, perhaps symbolising truth. For some reason, half a globe on half a plinth appears to cut off the composition in an odd and rather unsatisfactory way – perhaps there was once a companion piece that completes the story.
Title
Portrait of an Elderly Man and Woman, and a Younger Woman, outside a House
Date
probably 1660s
Medium
Oil on canvas
Measurements
H 127 x W 101 cm
Accession number
NG1292
Acquisition method
Bought, 1889
Work type
Painting
The National Gallery, London
Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England
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