Allegory of Summer; Allegory of Autumn

Oil on canvas, en grisaille

81.5 x 124.2 cms
31 3/4 x 48 7/8 inches
A pair

Geeraerts was a history and portrait painter. He was baptised in Antwerp on 7 April, 1707 and lived there until his death in February 1791.

He was a pupil of Abraham Godyn, who was a late 17th, early 18th century painter of historical and biblical scenes. In 1731, Geeraerts was appointed master at the academy in Antwerp and was later nominated a director, and became a professor there in 1741. He and the five other professors generously gave free painting lessons when the university ran out of funding.

He is best known for his ‘white’ or ‘grisaille’ paintings. The White School was followed by Geeraerts, as well as French artists such as Sauvage, Doncre, and Boilly. The practice involved painting high-quality classical and neo-classical figures to look like three- dimensional sculptures on large panels. These works had tremendous impact on the art world and made trompe-l’oeil paintings very fashionable. Large reliefs can be found in numerous churches and palaces, while smaller paintings were placed over doors or featured prominently above fireplaces.

Cities with museums where Geeraerts’s work can be seen include Antwerp, Brussels, The Hague, Vienna, and Lille.