Oil on panel, 'Interior with Armed Men and a Family Group', Eugène Delfosse, 1844 or 1846

Purchased, 1871

Purchased, 1871

Belgian artist Eugène Delfosse was best known for his history and genre paintings. 'Interior with Armed Men and a Family Group' is typical of the artist’s early canvases in its depiction of a nationalistic subject, painted in an affected style inspired by 16th and 17th century Flemish genre works. The theme of national identity was important to the Romantic Movement and was particularly relevant in the newly independent Belgium. By the 1840s, a number of painters including Delfosse, Edouard De Bièfve (1808-1882) and Henri Leys (1815-1869), to whom Delfosse’s paintings have been compared, were focusing on themes from Belgian history. Additionally, Delfosse spent time in Paris, where he was influenced by the Romanticism of contemporary French artists such as Paul Delaroche (1797-1854) and Eugène Delacroix (1798-1763).

Unlike many Romantic painters of this period, Delfosse did not depict identifiable events in history, although the inclusion of the armed soldiers may indicate that Museum no. 1324-1871 is set during one of the many conflicts that took place in Flanders during the 16th and 17th centuries, such as the Thirty Years War (1568-1648). Regardless, the staged quality of the composition and the pathos of the scene make it a typical example of mid-nineteenth century Belgian Romanticism.

The signature on the painting is hard to read - the date could be 184[4 or 6]

Belgian Romantic painter Eugène Delfosse was best known for his history and genre paintings. The nationalistic subject of 'Interior with Armed Men and a Family Group' draws on the motifs of 16th and 17th century Flemish genre paintings and is typical of Delfosse’s early works. The theme of national identity was important to the Romantic Movement and was particularly relevant in the newly independent Belgium. Although the painting does not depict any identifiable historic event, the inclusion of the soldiers may suggest that the scene is set during a period of conflict, such as the Thirty Years War (1568-1648). The emotionalism of the painting is characteristic of mid-nineteenth century Romanticism.

1324-1871