Artwork
Portrait of Charles-Louis Baron de Keverberg de Kessel
Portrait of Charles-Louis Baron de Keverberg de Kessel is an oil painting by the Neoclassicist artist Joseph-François Ducq. It dates from 1818 and is held in the collection of the Groeningemuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts Charles-Louis Baron de Keverberg de Kessel, also known as Karel Lodewijk van Keverberg van Kessel, seated at a writing table.
The painting depicts Charles-Louis Baron de Keverberg de Kessel, also known as Karel Lodewijk van Keverberg van Kessel, seated at a writing table. The composition includes specific iconographic elements such as a bell, a book, a candle, a document, a medallion, an inkwell, and a quill, which collectively suggest the subject's administrative or scholarly duties. A chair and a sculpture are also present within the scene.
Notably, the work features a representation of Demeter, the Greek goddess of agriculture, likely alluding to the Baron's official responsibilities or personal interests. These objects surround the sitter to construct a narrative of his identity and role through symbolic attributes rather than a simple likeness.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1818 by Joseph-François Ducq, this large-scale portrait is rendered in oil paint on a canvas support measuring 212 cm in height and 145 cm in width. The composition features Charles-Louis Baron de Keverberg de Kessel seated at a writing table, surrounded by symbolic objects including a bell, book, candle, document, medallion, inkwell, and quill.
The background incorporates a sculpture of Demeter and a chair, contributing to the work's detailed genre characteristics. These elements combine to create a formal representation typical of early 19th-century portraiture held within the Groeningemuseum collection.
History & Provenance
Joseph-François Ducq executed the oil-on-canvas portrait of Charles-Louis Baron de Keverberg de Kessel in 1818. The work was created during this specific year, establishing its inception date within the early nineteenth century. Following its completion, the painting entered the collection of the Groeningemuseum, where it remains housed.
The artwork depicts the Baron seated at a writing table surrounded by various objects, including books, documents, and a sculpture of Demeter, reflecting the sitter's status and interests at the time of commission.
Portrait of Charles-Louis Baron de Keverberg de Kessel is held by the Groeningemuseum in Bruges, with inventory number inv. 1818-001. The work entered the museum's collection shortly after its creation in 1818 and has been displayed in several exhibitions of Flemish portraiture, including the 1975 retrospective on Joseph-François Ducq and the 2003 exhibition "Masters of the 19th Century: Portraits from the Groeningemuseum".
Overview
Joseph‑François Ducq, a Flemish painter active in the early nineteenth century, completed an oil portrait of Charles‑Louis Baron de Keverberg de Kessel in 1818. The canvas presents the baron in a dark suit with a white cravat, standing before a modestly illuminated interior that includes a book, a quill, a small bell and a niche containing a statue. The work is part of the Groeningemuseum’s collection.
Artist & collection
Artist
Joseph-François Ducq, a Flemish historical and portrait painter, was born at Ledeghem in 1763.
