Best Pamono Follower of Anthoon Van Dyck, Jupiter & Nude Antiope, 1700, Oil on Canvas, Framed

Large canvas depicting ‘The Myth of Jupiter and Antiope’
(Ovid’s Meramorphoses, Book VI)

Oil on canvas

116 x 150 cm. – with frame 133 x 165 cm.

We share a valuable work, capable of captivating any connoisseur or collector of works from the Flemish Golden Age: it is a painting that reproduces the famous ‘Jupiter and Antiope’ created by Anthony van Dyck (Antwerp 1599 – London 1641) in 1620. Several examples of this painting are known, one of which is in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent, another in the Wallraf-Richartz Museum in Cologne (images 1 and 2).

This episode, taken from Book VI of Ovid’s Metamorphoses, depicts the seduction of the nymph Antiope by the god Jupiter. The beautiful nymph, asleep and lying on the ground wrapped in a red cloth, was seduced by the Lord of Olympus, who for the occasion took the form of a satyr, unable to have her in her divine form.

Here, Van Dyck depicts the moment of initial deception, when Antiope abandons herself to the embrace of Jupiter, who lasciviously creeps silently toward her bed, his hand outstretched to touch her. He is depicted with the horns and hairy legs of a satyr, while his muscular build and the eagle in the background allude to his true identity as Jupiter, king of the gods.

The plasticity of the figures and the combination of intense, brilliant colors are exceptional and enhance the sensuality of this composition, enhanced by the bold, sculptural poses.

Consider that Van Dyck was just 20 years old when he created this painting, demonstrating surprising artistic maturity, with a strongly sensual scene and his virtuosity in immortalizing nude figures.

The painting was immediately appreciated by 17th-century collectors who, using the mythological theme as a pretext, could admire subjects with markedly erotic overtones (always considering the historical context) without fear of repercussions.

The work’s success favored its considerable circulation, so much so that today numerous paintings are known by artists close to Van Dyck’s chronologically or active immediately after his creation, to please patrons who wished to possess their own version.

It is our opinion that the finely executed painting presented here is the work of a Flemish artist, active between the 17th and 18th centuries, to be found among the followers of Anthony van Dyck, a masterful reworking of his masterpiece.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The painting is in good condition with some surface restoration.

The painting is sold complete with a beautiful gilded frame and comes with a certificate of authenticity and an iconographic .