This painting shows Saint Augustine of Hippo and the child at the seashore. Augustine wears episcopal robes and a turban. Behind him we see a port. On the left, three ships are depicted, one of them sailing towards the harbour.

The scene refers to the famous legend of Saint Augustine and a child.

Abraham Willaerts was born and died in Utrecht. He was one of the sons of Adam Willarts (1577-1664). He and his younger brother, Isaac, took up their father’s profession and became marine painters. Abraham studied with Jan van Bijlert before he worked in Paris under Simon Vouet. In 1624 he became a master of the Utrecht Guild of St Luke. From 1637 to 1644 he was in the service of Count John Maurice of Nassau-Siegen. In the Count’s entourage he visited Brazil and also Africa (Angola). After a short stay in Amersfoort he travelled to Italy and visited Naples and Rome. He died in Utrecht in 1669.

Abraham Willaerts’ marine paintings closely follow those of his father, for example “Coast Scene” (1647; Haarlem, Frans Hals Museum), but often have an atmospheric softness, as in “Beach Scene with Ruin” (1662; Brunswick, Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum). He was also a well-known portrait painter and sometimes was responsible for some portraits in his father’s harbour scenes.

Abraham’s travelling abroad had some effect on his style and resulted in Mediterranean harbour views, real and imaginary.

The present painting is monogrammed by Abraham Willaerts. Furthermore it is listed in the Rijksbureau vor Kunsthistorische Documentatie (RKD) in Den Haag as an autograph work.

The painting is dated “1652”. It has been created after the artist’s journey to Brazil and is thus a rather late work. It combines a religious and a marine subject. Typical for Willaerts are the bright colours with a green and grey touch as well as the atmospheric softness.

Paintings by Abraham Willaerts are in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, the Musée des Beaux-Arts, Brussels and in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

fonte: www.galengalerie.com