Anthony Van Dyck, after - Mars and Venus
Anthony Van Dyck, after
Mars and Venus
Oil on canvas (relined). 156 x 124 cm.
Mars is depicted kneeling before Venus resting his right arm on her thigh and grasping hers. Venus rids him of his weapons, pulling the red sword belt over his head whilst a putto in the centre of the work receives his helmet and another on the right side holds the reigns of his grey horse.
The present work is based on a famous composition by Anthony van Dyck which has survived in the form of engravings by Coenrad Waumans and Jacobus Coelmans. A version in the Galleria Colonna in Rome purchased some time between 1818 and 1847 was once thought to be the prime version by van Dyck, but is today considered to be a studio piece (S. J. Barnes et al., op. cit., p. 404, no. III. A12). It is still the most famous of the surviving versions.
The present work has been housed in a Belgian private collection for around 50 years. It is thought to be identical with a work auctioned by Christie's in London in 1955 (11.3.1955, lot 125, dimensions 152.5 x 119 cm). Other versions of this composition have also been attributed to Thomas Willeborts or his workshop, for example a piece sold by Christie's in London in 2011 (14.4.2011, lot 35).
Provenance
From an old Belgian private collection.
Literature
Cf.: S. J. Barnes, N. de Poorter, O. Millar, H. Vey: Van Dyck. A Complete Catalogue of the Paintings, 2004.
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Anthony Van Dyck, after
Mars and Venus
Oil on canvas (relined). 156 x 124 cm.
Mars is depicted kneeling before Venus resting his right arm on her thigh and grasping hers. Venus rids him of his weapons, pulling the red sword belt over his head whilst a putto in the centre of the work receives his helmet and another on the right side holds the reigns of his grey horse.
The present work is based on a famous composition by Anthony van Dyck which has survived in the form of engravings by Coenrad Waumans and Jacobus Coelmans. A version in the Galleria Colonna in Rome purchased some time between 1818 and 1847 was once thought to be the prime version by van Dyck, but is today considered to be a studio piece (S. J. Barnes et al., op. cit., p. 404, no. III. A12). It is still the most famous of the surviving versions.
The present work has been housed in a Belgian private collection for around 50 years. It is thought to be identical with a work auctioned by Christie's in London in 1955 (11.3.1955, lot 125, dimensions 152.5 x 119 cm). Other versions of this composition have also been attributed to Thomas Willeborts or his workshop, for example a piece sold by Christie's in London in 2011 (14.4.2011, lot 35).
Provenance
From an old Belgian private collection.
Literature
Cf.: S. J. Barnes, N. de Poorter, O. Millar, H. Vey: Van Dyck. A Complete Catalogue of the Paintings, 2004.
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
