Bartholomaus Maton (Leiden circa 1642 – 1684 Stockholm)

A Young Man Seated at a Table Smoking a Pipe while Gazing into a Mirror

signed with the first three initials conjoined MATon in the lower left center
oil on panel with an arched top
13 ¾ x 10 ½ inches (35 x 26 cm.)

In this humorous vanitas a flamboyantly dressed young gallant is seated at a table smoking and gazing at himself in an elaborately carved mirror. His expression can be read as slightly alarmed, contemplative or intoxicated,¹ it is hard to tell. The mirror is a traditional vanitas symbol, representing not only the sin of pride but also human frailty as it reflects the passing of time. Smoking in the seventeenth century was viewed as unhealthy, costly and at best a fleeting pleasure. Smoke as a vanitas emblem stemmed directly from Psalm 102:3. “For my days pass away like smoke.”² A condemnation for the indulgence in the sins of vanity and vice may be seen in the juxtaposition of the erect sword hilt on his hip and the drooping wick laid across the tabletop.
Bartholomaus Maton was registered in the St. Luke’s Guild of Leiden in 1669 as a pupil of Gerrit Dou (1613-1675), and both his subjects and style of painting reflect those of his teacher. In 1674 he was elected twice as head of the guild. It is believed that in 1679 he traveled to Sweden. Specializing in genre and portraits, his works are often mistaken for those of Gerrit Dou or Frans van Mieris (1635-1681). The portrayal of young men smoking in a window arch, along with couples, an old man with an owl or a globe, and a violin player with an audience were favorite themes.
The artist’s works can be found in the museums of Amsterdam, Arnheim, Brussels, Finspong, Leiden, Mannheim, Mayence, Rotterdam, Schwerin and Vienna.
We would like to thank Fred G. Meijer for confirming the attribution to Bartholomaus Maton after viewing the panel.