"Anne Antonia Christina Somis seated playing at a harpsichord, with her father Francesco Lorenzo Somis playing the cello, and her brother Giovanni Lorenzo Somis playing the violin Oil on canvas 102 x 78 cm. (40 x 30 3/4 in) Provenance: Doctor Ignazio and Don Felice Somis until 1793; Thence by family descent to Oreste Mattirolo, Turin; Sale. Christies London, Old Master and 19th Century Paintings , 16th December 1975, lot 83 Literature: Mattirolo, O., Il Quadro di Martino van Meytens, Rassegna Municipale "Torino", Giugno, 1938, pp. 3-14, illus. The present painting depicts three members of the Somis musical dynasty, with the father Francesco Lorezno Somis (1663-1736), one of his two sons, the violinist, composer and painter Giovanni Lorenzo Somis (1688-1775), and his daughter, the soprano and singing teacher Anne Antonia Christina Somis (1704-1785), and later wife of French painter Charles-André van Loo (1705-1765). Francesco gave violin lessons to both of his sons, the oldest Giovanni Battista Somis (1686-1763), became a member of the court orchestra of the Duke of Savoy in Turin, and later the first solo violinist of the court orchestra. Francesco's younger son, Giovanni Lorenzo, who is depicted in the present painting took up the position of first solo violinist of the Turin court orchestra following the death of his brother in 1763; Giovanni Lorenzo was also a noted art collector, a painter himself, and had a collection including more than 70 paintings. Martin van Meytens (1695-1770) was born in Stockholm, Sweden, and began his artistic career under the tutelage of his father, Martin van Meytens the Elder (1648-1736). He quickly built up his reputation, and was to become one of the most significant Austrian painters of the period, as well as a leading exponent of the Baroque courtly portrait. Meytens was able to count members of the Royal Court of Austria such as Marie Antoinette, Maria Theresa of Austria, Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor, the Emperor's family and others, as his clients. During his early career while on his Grant Tour, Meytens was recorded as having spent a significant period of time in Turin, and it is possible that it was during this time that the artist was to meet the Somis family, who he was to later paint." [1]