|
Aken [Haecken], Joseph van [Vanacken, Vanaken, Joseph]
(b ?Antwerp, c. 1699; d London, 4 July 1749). Flemish painter, active in England. In Antwerp he began painting genre scenes in the Flemish tradition, such as The Washerwomen (c. 1715; priv. col., see Edwards, fig. VI). He arrived in London with his family c. 1720 and continued to produce genre paintings as well as conversation pieces. His Interior of an Alehouse (sold London, Christie’s, 31 July 1953, lot 106; see Waterhouse, p. 377) reveals his Flemish training, although the figures are wooden and stilted and the work devoid of moralizing intent. His Covent Garden Market (c. 1726–30; version, London, Mus. London) and The Old Stocks Market (c. 1740; version, London, Bank of England) show his adaptation of this genre tradition to contemporary London scenes, and the several versions of these works attest to their popularity. Van Aken also painted portraits, such as Lady with a Fan (untraced; mezzotint, 1735). His conversation pieces include A Musical Party on a Terrace (c. 1725; Eastbourne, Towner A.G. & Local Hist. Mus.), which betrays a French influence in its lively brushwork and informal composition.
|
|
There are more than 45,000 articles in The Grove Dictionary of Art.
To access the rest of this article, including the bibliography, subscribe to
www.groveart.com.
To find out more about this subject, click on a related article below and
subscribe to www.groveart.com
|
