Six pictures again bear the date 1641, and all are portraits except the great "Offering of Manoah and his Wife," at Dresden [No. 1563], wherein we are distressed once more by the artist's unfortunate conception of an angelic being. Two of the portraits form a pair now widely sundered, the admirable "Lady with the Fan" being at Buckingham Palace, while her husband has strayed away to Brussels [No. 397]. The portrait of "The Minister Anslo"—a marvel of life-like expression and superb painting—is a sad example of art treasures which have been allowed to leave England of late years, having passed from Lady Ashburnham to Berlin. The "Portrait of Anna Vymer," on the other hand, the mother of Burgomaster Six, is one of a very few, if it be not the only one, which is still in the possession of the descendants of the subject. The remaining picture is a portrait of a Young Woman, called "Saskia," at Dresden [No. 1562].
[Amsterdam Gallery
PORTRAIT OF ELIZABETH BAS
(ABOUT 1640)
[Berlin
ANSLO CONSOLING A WIDOW
(1641)
The dated pictures of 1642 are few. There is one subject in the Hermitage [No. 1777] long known as "The Reconciliation of Jacob and Esau," but now recorded in the catalogue as "The Reconciliation of David and Absalom"; while the "Christ taken from the Cross," in the National Gallery [No. 43], may belong to the same year, since it is a sketch probably made for the etching which was certainly executed then. There are also four portraits: one of "A Rabbi," belonging to M. Jules Porgès of Paris; Lord Iveagh's "Portrait of a Woman"; Mrs Alfred Morrison's "Portrait of Dr Bonus"; and "An Old Man," at Buda-Pesth [No. 235].
This limited production was probably due to the fact that a large share of his time must have been taken up by his largest and most famous work, "The Sortie of the Company of Francis Banning Cocq," for many years known as "The Night-watch," because time and careless usage had so blackened it that the original illumination was nearly obscured, and the figures appeared to be dimly visible by artificial light. The careful restoration by M. Hopman has, of late years, altered all this, and that the sortie is taking place by daylight, the condensed, highly localised daylight of Rembrandt, to be sure, has been established beyond cavil.
One would have supposed that such devoted art-patrons as the Dutch people of that time, would have hailed with delight the creation of such a masterpiece by one of themselves, and would have showered praises and commissions upon its creator. The very contrary seems to have been the fact; nor is the reason far to seek.