Items Similar to A 17th Century Mythological Scene
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 6
A 17th Century Mythological Scene1600s
1600s
About the Item
This small yet captivating painting, crafted on a copper plate, dates back to the mid-1600s and was created by a Flemish artist.
Subject Matter: The central figure in the artwork is Mercury, easily identified by his symbolic attributes like winged sandals, petasus, and caduceus. Beside him is a likely female figure, characterized by her attire and absence of weaponry.
The depicted scene could represent two mythological tales:
Mercury and Calypso: This interpretation suggests the artwork shows the moment Zeus sends Mercury to Calypso's island, Ogygia. Mercury is there to order Calypso to release Ulysses, whom she saved from a shipwreck but kept captive. The lush, wooded background and the three distant figures could hint at Ulysses' farewell to Calypso.
Mercury and Herses: Another interpretation could be a scene from the love story of Mercury and Herses. The background figures might symbolize the sisters returning from a procession, while the forefront could be the initial meeting between Mercury and the most beautiful sister, Erse.
Artistic Inspiration: The painting's landscape and setting are heavily influenced by the early 17th century Northern European art trends, especially the works of Jan Brueghel the Elder. However, the artwork stands apart with its unique luminescence in detailing and a distinctive approach to depicting figures.
While the exact origin and artist remain somewhat mysterious, the style and treatment of light hint towards works close to Josse de Momper. There's a suggestion that it might have been influenced or created by artists like Adriaen van Stalbemt, known for his biblical subjects and detailed landscapes, around the first thirty years of the 1600s.
In conclusion, while we haven't been able to figure out the artist, it's essential to remember that the allure of a painting isn't solely tied to its creator's identity. Sometimes, the beauty and intrigue of the piece stand on their own, and a touch of mystery can only enhance its charm.
Info:
oil on copper plate
unframed 16.3 x 21.4 cm (6.42 x 8.43 inches)
framed 26 x 31 cm (10.24 x 12.20 inches)
Provenance:
An important private collection, Sweden.
Condition:
Professionally restored in Italy 1995.
Expertise:
Dr. Mari Pietrogiovanna (Report included)
- Creation Year:1600s
- Dimensions:Height: 6.42 in (16.3 cm)Width: 8.43 in (21.4 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Circle Of:Adriaen van Stalbemt (1580 - 1662)
- Period:Mid-17th Century
- Condition:Very good condition. Professionally restored in Italy 1995.
- Gallery Location:Stockholm, SE
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1445213195582
About the Seller
5.0
Platinum Seller
These expertly vetted sellers are 1stDibs' most experienced sellers and are rated highest by our customers.
Established in 2020
1stDibs seller since 2020
121 sales on 1stDibs
Typical response time: <1 hour
Associations
International Confederation of Art and Antique Dealers' Associations
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Stockholm, Sweden
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 2 days of delivery.
More From This SellerView All
- Landscape With Pan and Syrinx, Flemish School From the 1600s, Oil on CopperLocated in Stockholm, SEFlemish School, 1600s Landscape With Pan and Syrinx painted around the 1600s oil on copper 19 x 23.5 cm frame 29 x 34 cm Hand-made oak frame by Swedish frame maker Christer Björkma...Category
17th Century Old Masters Landscape Paintings
MaterialsCopper
- A Wooded Landscape With Riders, Attributed to Pieter Gysels, Oil on CopperLocated in Stockholm, SEPieter Gysels, also known as Peeter Gijsels, was a renowned Flemish painter who lived from 1621 to 1690/91. He was known for his landscapes, which often depicted idyllic scenes from nature, and his works are highly sought after by Old Master collectors. We are proud to offer a newly discovered pair of landscapes attributed to him; this one called "A Wooded Landscape With Riders" This stunning painting captures the beauty of a serene summer day in the countryside. In the foreground, we see a couple riding on horsebacks, enjoying the peaceful surroundings. The horses seems to be trotting gently, and the riders are relaxed, taking in the natural splendour around them. In the distance, we see several other figures, perhaps farmers or peasants, doing their daily tasks. We also see a small stream flowing through the landscape, with several small houses. And in the background, we see a beautiful wooded area with tall trees reaching up towards the sky. The attention to detail in this painting is truly remarkable. Gysels use of vibrant colours evoke the warmth and beauty and he skillfully captured the play of light on the landscape, creating a sense of depth and atmosphere. The detailing of the cottages, the colors, the use of big-leafed plants in the foreground, and the figure types are typical of his signature style. "A Wooded Landscape With Riders" is painted on copper, which gives the painting a unique luminosity and depth. The use of copper as a support for paintings was popular in the seventeenth century. We also have one more painting called "Wooded Landscape With an Elegant Company...Category
17th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings
MaterialsCopper
- A Wooded Landscape With Riders, Attributed to Pieter Gysels (Peeter Gijsels)Located in Stockholm, SEPieter Gysels, also known as Peeter Gijsels, was a renowned Flemish painter who lived from 1621 to 1690/91. He was known for his landscapes, which often depicted idyllic scenes from nature, and his works are highly sought after by Old Master collectors. We are proud to offer a newly discovered pair of landscapes attributed to him; this one called "A Wooded Landscape With Riders" This stunning painting captures the beauty of a serene summer day in the countryside. In the foreground, we see a couple riding on horsebacks, enjoying the peaceful surroundings. The horses seems to be trotting gently, and the riders are relaxed, taking in the natural splendour around them. In the distance, we see several other figures, perhaps farmers or peasants, doing their daily tasks. We also see a small stream flowing through the landscape, with several small houses. And in the background, we see a beautiful wooded area with tall trees reaching up towards the sky. The attention to detail in this painting is truly remarkable. Gysels use of vibrant colours evoke the warmth and beauty and he skillfully captured the play of light on the landscape, creating a sense of depth and atmosphere. The detailing of the cottages, the colors, the use of big-leafed plants in the foreground, and the figure types are typical of his signature style. "A Wooded Landscape With Riders" is painted on copper, which gives the painting a unique luminosity and depth. The use of copper as a support for paintings was popular in the seventeenth century. We also have one more painting called "Wooded Landscape With an Elegant Company...Category
17th Century Old Masters Landscape Paintings
MaterialsCopper
- Old Master Painting, Flemish School from 1600s, Saint Nicholas of TolentinoLocated in Stockholm, SEThis small Flemish painting, measuring only 24.5 x 18.5 cm and executed on a copper plate, depicts Saint Nicholas of Tolentino. Created in the 17th century, the artist remains unknow...Category
17th Century Old Masters Landscape Paintings
MaterialsCopper
- Abraham and the Sacrifice of His Son Isaac by Adriaen Van Stalbemt, C. 1605-1610Located in Stockholm, SEArtist: Adriaen van Stalbemt (Stalbempt) 1580-1662 Title: Abraham and the Sacrifice of His Son Isaac “Das Opfer des Abraham” According to the Old...Category
Early 1600s Old Masters Landscape Paintings
MaterialsCopper
- Peasants in a Cornfield (Boer in het veld) by David Teniers the YoungerBy David Teniers the YoungerLocated in Stockholm, SERemembering the magic of everyday life moments in the art of David Teniers: The art of David Teniers the Younger (1610–1690) coincided with the heyday of the Flemish Baroque and captured a great variety of motifs of his time. In this painting of a seemingly simple peasant scene lies keys to understanding both the imaginative mind of Teniers as well as why this time period produced some of the most iconic works in all of art history. As indicated by the name, Teniers was more or less born into his profession. As the son of David Teniers the elder, himself a painter who studied under Rubens, the younger David received training in art from a very young age and had no less than three brothers who also became painters. Because of his father’s frequent financial failures that even at times saw him imprisoned, David the younger helped to rescue the family from ruin through painting copies of old masters. Essentially, the young Teniers was confronted with painting as both a passion and creative expression as well as a necessity during difficult times, an experience that would shape much of his capacity and sensitivity in his coming life. Despite the hardships, the talent and determination of Teniers was recognized and quickly expanded his possibilities. He had already spent time in France and possibly also England when he was hired by his father’s former teacher Rubens to help with a prestigious commission with mythological paintings, now considered lost, for Philip IV the king Spain. In 1644–54 Teniers was appointed dean of the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke, manifesting his esteemed position within the artistic community. A few years afterwards he took an important step when relocating to Brussels, where Teniers yet again found new career opportunities that would prove to be very successful. As the keeper of the collections of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm, a role similar to what we now refer to as an art advisor, Teniers purchased hundreds of important artworks that manifested the prominent status of the Archduke’s collection while at the same time providing an unusual access to inspiration and knowledge for Teniers himself. Since he kept on painting during the same time, his creative scope must have seemed almost bewildering in the great variety of images and stories that he surrounded himself with. Regardless of how glamorous and culturally stimulating the career of Teniers was, he was as open to the charm and existential importance of everyday life as he was to works of great masters and luxurious collectibles. In his impressive repertoire of genres with everything from exquisite royal portraits, interiors, landscapes and history paintings he always added something new and inventive, highlighting the possibilities of art and importance of an experimental and intuitive mind. It is difficult to single out one aspect or genre to summarize his legacy, since it lies much more in the broad virtuosity across many motifs, although he is particularly remembered for farm scenes and meticulously depicted interiors where other paintings and artworks are captured with an astonishing precision. However, the fact that he is still today one of the most known and celebrated names of the Dutch Golden Age is a proof to the magic of his work, which continues to spark dialogue and wonder in the contemporary viewer of his works. The farm boy in the field in this painting, which likely dates to the mature part of his career, is a wonderful entry into the mind of Teniers. In the tightly cropped motif, we see him standing right in the middle of the busy harvest when men, women and everyone capable were sent out in the field to collect the crop that formed the very core of their diet and survival. In the background we see a fresh blue sky interspersed with skillfully painted clouds, some trees reaching their autumnal colours and in the far distance the glimpse of a small church and village. The presence of a church in a landscape, so typical of Dutch art, served both a symbolic and visual function as a representation of faith while at the same time defining scale and distance. In the field, the work is in full action with the farmers spread out in various positions, all in the midst of hard and sweaty labour. While they are portrayed as having nothing else than the work on their mind, our farm boy seems to have his attention directed elsewhere. Standing there with his white, half open shirt, flowy curls and strong, sturdy body; his gaze is directed away, out of the picture and the scythes in his hands. He looks almost smirking, expressed with tremendous subtlety in the slight smile of his lips and big eyes, being just in the middle of losing focus on the work. What is it that steals his attention? What has he seen, or realized, or felt – to break him free of the arduous task of harvesting, if but for a moment? Here starts the wondering and the questions that are the hallmark of a great piece of art. Instead of explicitly locking in the motif in overly clear symbolism Teniers has chosen an open ended, subtle yet striking moment for us to consider. While it of course can be related to numerous other farm scene depictions of this time, and clever usages of gazes and real-life scenes to underscore various moral or symbolic meanings, the painting can be much more of a contemplation than an explanation or illustration. The ordinary nature and understated yet emotionally textured composition of the motif gives greater space for our own reactions and thoughts. Has he seen a pretty farm girl just passing by? Is he fed up with the farm life, joyously dreaming away for a minute, imagining another future? Or is he simply in need of distraction, looking away and ready for anything that can steal his attention? One quality that never seem to have escaped Teniers was that of curiosity. During all of his career he constantly investigated, expanded and experimented with not only the style and technique of painting, but with the vision of art itself. Being credited with more or less introducing farm motifs for a broader audience not only tells us of his ability to understand the demand for different motifs, but the sensitivity to transform seemingly ordinary parts of life into deep aesthetic experiences, far beyond their expected reach. The farm boy in this painting is, of course, exactly that. But with the help of one smirk the entire picture is charged with a different energy, awakening many contrasts and relationships between the calm landscape, the hard work and his own breach of effectivity, holding sharp scythes while thinking or seeing something else. It is no wonder Teniers chose to work with farm scenes as a way of investigating these intricate and delicate plays on expectations and surprises, clarity and ambivalence. It invites us to an appreciation of human everyday life that connects us with the people of 17th century...Category
Late 17th Century Old Masters Landscape Paintings
MaterialsOil, Canvas
You May Also Like
- Five mid 20th century Italian oil landscapes with figures, castles, ChurchsLocated in Woodbury, CTA very interesting set of five mid-20th-century Italian oils on copper. All five are classical landscape subjects and are signed Roger, though we don't know which artist with the n...Category
1950s Old Masters Landscape Paintings
MaterialsCopper
- 18th century Old Master oil painting - Travellers at rest in a sunset landscapeLocated in Antwerp, BE18th century old master painting depicting a peaceful countryside scenery at sunset with a fortified town visible in the distance attributed to Franz Paula de Ferg In the present jewel-like painting, de Ferg captures a moment of respite amidst the journey of life. Two travelers can be seen sitting to the left, pausing for a moment of rest, perhaps reflecting on the path they've traveled and the one that lies ahead. Meanwhile, a lone traveler atop a magnificent white horse engages in conversation with a couple, perhaps he is asking them for directions. In the distance, the landscape unfolds in all its glory, a majestic mountain bathed in the warm hues of the setting sun. The golden light casts a serene glow over the scene, imbuing it with a sense of tranquility and beauty. Amidst the natural splendor, a fortified village stands as a testament to human resilience and ingenuity, a beacon of civilization amidst the untamed wilderness. Above it all, the sky is adorned with impressive white clouds, their billowing forms adding a touch of drama and grandeur to the scene. It's a moment frozen in time, where the beauty of nature and the fleeting connections between fellow travelers converge, reminding us of the profound beauty and poignancy of the journey we all share. The painting has been painted on a copper support, which has ensured that the vibrancy and intensity have survived so well through the centuries. Franz de Paula Ferg, was born on May 2, 1689 in Vienna and is also known as Francis Paul...Category
18th Century Old Masters Landscape Paintings
MaterialsCopper
- Stag Hunting in the Vicinity of Nuremberg by a German Artist Peter von BemmelLocated in PARIS, FRThis small landscape shows a hunting scene: two riders are chasing a stag with their dogs at the edge of a forest. Signed by Peter von Bemmel, it is typical of the production of this...Category
1720s Old Masters Landscape Paintings
MaterialsCopper
- A Pair of Forest Landscapes, Philipp H. Brinckmann, 1709 – 1761, Old MasterLocated in Bruges, BEA Pair of Forest Landscapes with River and Boat in the Foreground Brinckmann Philipp Hieronymus Spire 1709 – 1761 Manheim Old Master Signature: Signed "Ph. Brinckm" bottom lower lef...Category
18th Century Old Masters Landscape Paintings
MaterialsCopper
- The Adoration of the Magi by Joseph van BredaelLocated in New Orleans, LAJoseph van Bredael 1688-1739 Flemish The Adoration of the Magi Oil on copper Painted on copper and exhibiting an exquisite luminosity, this exceptional painting...Category
Late 17th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings
MaterialsCopper
- 17th c. Flemish - Landscape with Flight to Egypt - Antwerp circa 1630Located in PARIS, FRLANDSCAPE WITH FLIGHT TO EGYPT, JASPER VAN DER LANEN (ANTWERP, 1585 - 1634) 17TH CENTURY FLEMISH SCHOOL ANTWERP CIRCA 1630 Oil on copper, dimensions: h. 10.23 in, w. 14.96 in Flemish style frame in ebonized wood adorned with wavy moldings and wood veneer. Framed dimensions: h. 17.32 in, w. 21.65 in Provenance: Philips auction...Category
Early 17th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings
MaterialsCopper
Recently Viewed
View AllMore Ways To Browse
Antique Scene
17th Century Plate
17th Century Figures
17th Century Copper
17th Century Flemish Painting
Oil Painting Mythological
1600S Antique
Antique 1600s
Antique Paintings Mythological
17th Century Italian Plates
Mythological Italian Paintings
Initial A Charm
17th Century Copper Plate
17th Century Oil Painting Attributed
His Hers
17th Century Swedish
Mercury Figure
Old Masters Biblical