from his chains painted for a clandestine church in Amsterdam. Genre scenes The Hermitage Museum has two genre paintings by Beschey which represent the five senses, a subject popular in Flemish art. Christie’s sold another pair of genre scenes at its 30 March 2015 sale in Paris (lot 15) representing respectively a fishmarket and a Commedia dell'Arte scene. Portraits Balthasar Beschey painted single as well as group portraits. In his Self-portrait (Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp), which the artist donated in 1763 to the Academy of Antwerp, he painted himself in a flamboyant manner with his right arm loosely hanging over the back of a chair and a large palette in his left hand. He is working on a figure composition but it is not clear exactly which subject he is painting. It could be a Venus with Cupid or alternatively, an allegory, possibly of the fine arts. The work is very similar in style to French portraiture of that time. Beschey also follows the French fashion with his yellow silk jacket with frill and powdered wig. He painted a pair of family portraits of two generations of the Cremers family, one representing the family in an outdoor setting playing music and the second representing the wedding of the parents Cremer who are all seated and making music. In the first painting, Jacob Johannes Cremers is seated on the left side between the artist who portrayed himself standing with a palette in his hand and an ecclesiast. Selected works Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp: The Death of Cleopatra (originally listed as work by Rubens) Joseph sold by his brothers (signed and dated 1744). The brothers try to buy corn from Joseph, the Vice-Roy of Egypt (signed and dated 1744). A Hermit at Prayer (National Museum in Warsaw) Self-portrait (signed — donated by the artist to the Academy of Antwerp in 1763). Portrait of the painter Martin Joseph Geeraerts. Louvre, Paris: Portrait of a Family (signed and dated 1731). Hermitage, Petersburg: The Five Senses. Allegory of Eyesight and the Sense of Touch. Signed and dated: B. BESCHEIJ, 1733. The Five Senses. Allegory of Hearing, Taste and Smell Signed and dated: B. BESCHEIJ. Azerbaijan National Museum, Baku, Azerbaijan Venus and Adonis References External links 1708 births 1776 deaths Artists from Antwerp Flemish history painters Flemish landscape painters Flemish portrait painters Flemish genre painters Flemish art dealers Academic staff of the