A Family Group
- Artist: Gonzales Coques
- Date: about 1664
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is the "A Family Group" by Gonzales Coques, painted in Antwerp where the artist was based. Group portraits such as this were popular among the city elite and artists incorporated gestures, looks and activities to bring the scene to life and to suggest the character of the individuals and their relationships to each other.
The father is serious and slightly preoccupied, looking down to his left. His son, dressed in skirts which were commonly worn by boys at that time, is distracted by the antics of a tame bird but looks the same direction as his father. The wife and daughters, however, look on a contrasting diagonal.
This sequence of figures forms a graceful arc, linked and contrasted by looks and gestures. The eldest daughter stands alone, slightly outside the group. The roses she gathers are symbolic of love and marriage – this and her position may indicate that she is about to marry and leave her immediate family.
The painting gives us a glimpse into the lives of the family members and their relationships with each other, as well as their status and wealth in Antwerp society. It's a beautiful example of how artists used composition and symbolism to tell stories through their work.
See it in person
A Family Group hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
