NICOLAS

See also:

• NICOLAS MAES (1632-1693)

MAES (1632-1693)  , Dutch painter, was born at Dordrecht, and went about 165o to Amsterdam, where he entered Rembrandt's studio.- Before his return to Dordrecht in 1654 Maes painted a few Rembrandtesque genre pictures, with life-size figures and in a deep glowing scheme of colour, like the " Reverie " at the Ryks Museum in Amsterdam, the " Card Players " at the National Gallery, and the " Children with a Goat Carriage," belonging to Baroness N. de Rothschild . So closely did his early style resemble that of Rembrandt, that the last-named picture, and other canvases in the Leipzig and Budapest galleries and in the collection of Lord Radnor, were or are still ascribed to Rembrandt . In his best period, from 1655 to 1665, Maes devoted himself to domestic genre on a smaller scale, retaining to a great extent the magic of colour he had learnt from Rembrandt . Only on rare occasions did he treat scriptural subjects, as in the earl of Denbigh's " Hagar's Departure," which has been ascribed to Rembrandt . His favourite subjects were women spinning, or reading the Bible, or preparing a meal . In 1665 he went to Antwerp, where he remained till 1678, in which year he probably returned to Amsterdam . His Antwerp period coincides with a complete change in style and subject . He devoted himself almost exclusively to portraiture, and abandoned the intimacy and glowing colour harmonies of his earlier work for a careless elegance which suggests the influence of Van Dyck . So great indeed was the change, that it gave rise to the theory of the existence of another Maes, of Brussels . Maes is well represented at the National Gallery by five paintings: " The Cradle," " The Dutch Housewife," " The Idle Servant," " The Card Players," and a man's portrait . At Amsterdam, besides the splendid examples to be found at the Ryks Museum, is the " Inquisitive Servant " of the Six collection . At Buckingham Palace is " The Listening Girl " (repeti;.ions exist), and at Apsley House " Selling Milk " and " The Listener." Other notable examples are at the Berlin, Brussels, St Petersburg, the Hague, Frankfort, Hanover and Munich galleries .