Gaspar Van Den Hoecke (Anversa, 1585 - 1648)

Gaspar van den Hoecke (Antwerp, 1585 – 1648) The Feast of Herod Early 17th century Oil on panel, with gold highlights (in Salome's robes and in the palace curtains in the background) 56 x 80 cm, framed 72 x 90 cm The work, rich in details not reported here, can be consulted in its entirety directly at the following - link - Fine oil painting on panel depicting King Herod and the beautiful Jewish princess Salome according to the episode from the Gospel of Matthew (14:3-11), which sees her as the protagonist in the story of the martyrdom of John the Baptist. The event shown is a cross between history and legend, a favorite myth for centuries by artists of every field: Caravaggio in painting, Oscar Wilde in theater, Richard Strauss in music. In the artistic model, Salome, a young, unconscious instrument of her mother's revenge, becomes the symbol of lust. For the occasion of King Herod's birthday, Salome, the attractive daughter of Herodias, his mistress, performed a seductive dance for the pleasure of the diners. Her dance was so pleasing that Herod promised to give her as a reward anything she desired, even part of his kingdom if she wanted. The young woman went to her mother for advice, and Herodias, moved by resentment against John the Baptist, ordered her to request the head of the Saint on a platter. Salome, an unconscious victim of her mother's wishes, becomes the interpreter of the Saint's murder, obtained with skill and cunning, and during the banquet presents his head on a silver platter as if it were a trophy. We see the King react with disdain to this situation, while the two women appear indifferent to the consequences of her gesture, standing at the other end of the table in a gold dress and a wide neckline. In the background, on the left, the event preceding the main representation is represented in optical synchronism, namely the martyrdom and decapitation of the Baptist, which takes place inside a bare prison with barred windows, in marked contrast to the situation of opulence in the foreground. The splendid painting is a work, given its pictorial quality, attributable to the workshop of the painter Gaspar van den Hoecke (1585 – 1648), one of the greatest masters of early Flemish Baroque in Antwerp, whose works are strongly influenced by the pictorial ascendancy of Frans Francken, a reference artist for the southern Dutch school, and with whom they have often been confused due to the clear stylistic similarity. See for comparative purposes the two works of Van den Hoeche: - Parable of Lazarus and the rich Epulone’ (link) - The Feast of Baltassar, New York, Sotheby's, 24.01.08, lot 210 (link) As we can see, his paintings, dominated by figures treated with extreme care and cloaked in clothes with large, pompous volumes, are rendered with an intense chromatic splendor and characterized by a refinement in the choice of pigments typical of the high-level Flemish school. The studied gestures of the actors and their intense mimicry are proponents of the strong narrative tension that transpires from the panel, and rendered with extreme realism and definition. The panel is in excellent condition and shows no particular restorations to the analysis of the wood lamp. Gilt wood frame, not coeval. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: The painting is sold with a certificate of authenticity and descriptive iconographic sheet. We take care of and organize the transport of the purchased works, both for Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers. Contact us for any information, we will be happy to answer you. Follow us also on: https://www.instagram.com/galleriacastelbarco/?hl=it https://www.facebook.com/galleriacastelbarco/