A Family Group on a Terrace in the Grounds of a Villa. Possibly the English Businessman George Jackson and his Family 1737
oil-paint
portrait
gouache
oil-paint
landscape
oil painting
group-portraits
genre-painting
rococo
Marcus Tuscher's "A Family Group on a Terrace in the Grounds of a Villa. Possibly the English Businessman George Jackson and his Family," (1737) is a portrait of a family enjoying a leisurely moment on a terrace. The composition, housed in the SMK - Statens Museum for Kunst, shows the parents, two daughters, and a son, adorned in elegant attire, surrounded by a verdant garden and architectural details. Tuscher's Rococo-style work is marked by its refined details, vibrant colors, and graceful figures, creating a harmonious and opulent scene. The presence of a peacock and a fountain adds a touch of whimsy and symbolizes the beauty of nature, which was a common theme during this period. The painting is believed to depict the Jackson family, suggesting a commission from a wealthy English family who desired a permanent record of their status and prosperity.
Comments
In all likelihood the people being waited upon here are the British consul in Livorno, George Jackson (1692–1763) and his family. Jackson is shown holding a book. He is not presented as a government official serving the mercantile interests of his country, but rather as a fervent bibliophile – another aspect of his personality: he collected manuscripts and rare books. His wife and three daughters may be presented as Flora, goddess of flowers, and her little aides. The artist has signed his work with the inscription MARCVS TVSCHER NORICVS.FACIEBAT.LIBURNI. MDCCXXXVII (Marcus Tuscher of Nuremburg painted this in Livorno 1737). With this detailed inscription Tuscher not only lets us know where and when the painting was painted, but also that he is a learned artist himself.
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