Hieronymus Francken II - Banquet Scene
Hieronymus Francken II
Banquet Scene
Oil on panel. 105.5 x 74 cm.
Genre painting developed as an independent subject in Netherlandish painting in the early 17th century. Before this, opulent banquet or feasting scenes always had to be justified as illustrations of biblical stories such as the prodigal son or the rich man and Lazarus, or as mythological gatherings of the gods. This painting utilises the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) as the basis for a banquet scene laden with luxury and erotic tension. A small hint as to the biblical origin of the motif is provided by an image within the image in the form of a painting hanging on the back wall, which shows the prodigal son as a swineherd. The figure in the painting is identical to the young man in the foreground shown raising his costly rummer to a toast, and we recognise him as the prodigal son wasting his inheritance. Otherwise, the image is dominated by the depiction of a luxurious feast containing a plethora of veiled innuendoes: The oyster shells strewn about the floor, the scantily clad woman in the right foreground, the courting couples, and the roasted bird on the table, which is a reference to the ambiguous Dutch verb “vogelelen”.
In this portait-format work, the banquet of the prodigal son is set in the shadowy environs of a 17th century tavern. Ursula Härting attributes the work to the Antwerp still life and figure painter Hieronymus Francken II, comparing it to depictions of dances by the same artist in the museums of Cambrai and Vienna. In contrast to his brother Frans Francken II, Hieronymous Francken has left a relatively small oeuvre, to which this work provides a valuable addition.
This painting is requested as a loan for an exhibition on the Francken family of painters which will be taking place in the Musée de Flandre in Cassel, France, from October 2020 to February 2021.
Certificate
Ursula Härting, Hamm, 23.7.2018.
View it on
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
Hieronymus Francken II
Banquet Scene
Oil on panel. 105.5 x 74 cm.
Genre painting developed as an independent subject in Netherlandish painting in the early 17th century. Before this, opulent banquet or feasting scenes always had to be justified as illustrations of biblical stories such as the prodigal son or the rich man and Lazarus, or as mythological gatherings of the gods. This painting utilises the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) as the basis for a banquet scene laden with luxury and erotic tension. A small hint as to the biblical origin of the motif is provided by an image within the image in the form of a painting hanging on the back wall, which shows the prodigal son as a swineherd. The figure in the painting is identical to the young man in the foreground shown raising his costly rummer to a toast, and we recognise him as the prodigal son wasting his inheritance. Otherwise, the image is dominated by the depiction of a luxurious feast containing a plethora of veiled innuendoes: The oyster shells strewn about the floor, the scantily clad woman in the right foreground, the courting couples, and the roasted bird on the table, which is a reference to the ambiguous Dutch verb “vogelelen”.
In this portait-format work, the banquet of the prodigal son is set in the shadowy environs of a 17th century tavern. Ursula Härting attributes the work to the Antwerp still life and figure painter Hieronymus Francken II, comparing it to depictions of dances by the same artist in the museums of Cambrai and Vienna. In contrast to his brother Frans Francken II, Hieronymous Francken has left a relatively small oeuvre, to which this work provides a valuable addition.
This painting is requested as a loan for an exhibition on the Francken family of painters which will be taking place in the Musée de Flandre in Cassel, France, from October 2020 to February 2021.
Certificate
Ursula Härting, Hamm, 23.7.2018.
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
