Dutch Painting

Cesar Pietersz. (Bovetius) van EVERDINGEN
Alkmaar c. 1617-Alkmaar 1678

In common with so many forgotten or underestimated artists, Cesar van Everdingen (he sometimes signed himself 'Bovetius' as well) occupied an important place in the art of his own time. The century-long refusal of critics and connoisseurs to look at his type of art shows signs of coming to an end.

Everdingen was a superb technician, not only with minute detail, but with his ability to paint portraits, mythological and allegorical pictures in a crisp and polished style. The source of his art is probably the Haarlem mannerists he imitated the polish of Cornelis van Haarlem and his pictures are sometimes quite close in style to those of the Haarlem painter Pieter de Grebber. Together they are the chief painters of mythological and religious subjects in Haarlem in the middle years of the century. Most of his career was spent in Alkmaar; although in the 1640s he was in Harlem. He received the important commission to decorate part of the Huis ten Bosch near The Hague. In 1657 he was back in Alkmaar, where he remained, except for a visit to Amsterdam in 1661. His younger brother was Allart van Everdingen.