Henri de Fromantiou: Royal illusions

Abstract

The exhibition will emphasize Henri de Fromantiou's oeuvre and his heyday as a court painter in Potsdam. He created many still lifes for the palaces of Frederick William I, Elector of Brandenburg. De Fromantiou's talent allowed him to portray a royal world in prestigious still lifes of game and of luxury products like flowers and fruit. Over the years, his name fell into oblivion and his paintings were wrongly attributed to great masters like Willem van Aelst, Jan Davidsz de Heem and Jan van Huysum. There is no monograph on the painter Henri de Fromantiou and the literature about him is very limited. The catalogue to accompany the exhibition fills this art-historical gap. It contains articles about Henri de Fromantiou's exceptional life, his oeuvre and his role as an art dealer. It also includes illustrations and information about all his paintings, in a summary of his complete oeuvre.

Contents

Foreword / Stijn Huijts -- 'Henricus de Fromantiou, pictor De Sa Serenité Electorale de Brandenburg' / Viënna van Rosmalen -- Henri de Fromantiou's early years: searching the archives / Anna Cecilia Koldeweij -- Dutch art in Berlin: the Great Elector as Maecenas / Volker Manuth -- Henri de Fromantiou, art delaer and advisor / Friso Lammertse -- The 'forgotten' oeuvre of Henri de Fromantiou / Monique Rakhorst and Fred Meijer -- Oeuvre catalogue of Henri de Fromantiou.