Jacobus Ferdinandus Saey

[2] Jacobus Ferdinandus Saey was in his subject matter influenced by his teacher Wilhelm Schubert van Ehrenberg who mainly painted architectural scenes of real and imaginary churches, Renaissance palaces and picture galleries.

[6][7] Unlike his master, who occasionally painted the interiors of real existing buildings, Saey mostly concentrated on imaginary structures and outdoor settings with elegant companies congregating in an informal manner.

Saey's figures are not the common people of Rome going about their daily business preferred by the Bamboccianti, but rather elegant persons, often wearing exotic garb who are participating in some courtly or artistic activity.

[4] Other works, such as the Perspective view of an Italian palace animated with figures and gallant celebrations (possibly 1690, Musee des beaux-arts de Valenciennes), do not appear to depict a specific story.

The picture shows elegant figures on a terrace before a palatial building watching a dance performance by a black dancer holding a red macaw with open wings on his arm.

[13] That his works are principally aimed at impressing the viewer through their technical feats of architectural perspective, the dramatic lighting and the mysterious scenes with fantastic figures is evident in the pair of paintings depicting palace architecture with nocturnal illumination and numerous figures (Auctioned at Hampel on 28 September 2017, Cologne, lot 739).

The scene in the composition to be hung on the left may refer to the story of the arrival of the Queen of Sheba who is standing with her crown on the stairs while servants are carrying luggage and treasure boxes.

[10] A composition by Saeys in the collection of the Louvre referred to as the Hunting meal differs from his other work in that it depicts an elegant company in a landscape rather than in front of an imaginary palace.