Erasmus Quellinus II (Anversa 1607 - 1672)

Erasmus Quellinus II (Antwerp 1607 - 1672) Vanitas (as an Allegory of the Vanity of Life or Youth) Oil on canvas (121 x 84 cm - Framed 135 x 98 cm) The work is accompanied by a critical study written by Professor Emilio Negro, of which we present some excerpts. The theme of the painting we propose is a unique and rare "Vanitas", a subject of strong moral value which, in the pictorial field, refers to a composition with symbolic elements alluding to the theme of the transience of life, and therefore intended to encourage the viewer to meditate on the transience of human destiny and the fragility of worldly pleasures. These subjects, which were particularly successful in the Flemish area, are works of great charm , interesting to study and often difficult to decipher; the protagonist of our canvas is a capricious cupid, sitting on a sarcophagus, a sort of anthropomorphic Carpe Diem (seize the day) pictorial, which invites to meditate on the fleetingness of life and to enjoy the moments of happiness granted by it; this without worrying about the alternating fortunes of fate, symbolized by the foot of the putto that tramples gold coins, precious fabric, the scepter, the ermine stole, the skull, the hunting horn and books. Next to it is placed a still life of colorful flowers, collected in a crystal vase, whose presence assumes a clear allegorical meaning, since they constitute the metaphor of the transience of youthful beauty which, like fresh flowers, is destined to wither. Particularly noteworthy is the bare stone sepulcher on which the cherub sits, on which the initials "D. M. S." stand out, engraved in beautiful Roman capital letters to be dissolved in the Latin phrase "Diis Manibus Sacrum", that is, to the sacred Gods Manes, corresponding to the invocation carved on the tombstones of the last paganism and the early Paleochristian period, addressed to the spirits of the deified ancestors. Another very interesting detail is the white sheet that emerges from the pages of the voluminous closed psalter (the biblical text containing the collection of Psalms) in which the Latin phrase is traced in beautiful seventeenth-century cursive calligraphy: "(Quia] Defecerunt sicut fumus dies/ mei Psal J.97" (to be translated: "[Because] my days have vanished like smoke" (Psalter, Psalm 1. 97), equivalent to another exhortation to reflect on the short duration of existence. Regarding the pictorial origin of the composition in question, it should first of all be noted that it is an interesting replica, with some modifications, of a work executed by four hands by Erasmus Quellinus the Younger (the figure of the putto) and Daniel Seghers (the still life). A version entitled 'Allegory of the passage of Youth' is also known of the same composition, passed by Sotheby's in Amsterdam as Cornelis Schut and Daniël Seghers (12.12.1991, Old master Paintings and Drawings, lot 218, Price € 16,630, then sold in London as Thomas Willeboirts Bosschaert (Sotheby's 16.12.1999, lot 59, Hammer price: € 126,592 / £ 80,000). Here is the link to the painting: https://research.rkd.nl/en/detail/https%3A%2F%2Fdata.rkd.nl%2Fimages%2F52665?c=q%3D%26filters%255B0%... And also the Vanity attributed to Thomas Willeboirts Bosschaert and passed in Vienna by Dorotheum (17/10/2007, and estimated: 18,000-24,000 €, link: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/thomas-willeboirts-bosschaert-bergen-op-zoom-1613-228-c-ms7xg... As for the painting in question, we can compare its realization to a capable Flemish artist of the Grand Siècle, attentive to the rendering of details and faithful to the teachings learned thanks to the study of the compositions created by the best seventeenth-century masters: in our canvas clear post-Caravaggio and post-Rubens accents stand out, typical of the students of Wallerant Vaillant; peculiar stylemes that can be seen in the effective contrasts of light and in the fluid pictorial mixture with balanced colors. These reasons allow to connect this Vanitas to the modus operandi of the aforementioned Erasmus Quellinus the Younger (Antwerp, 1607-1678), one of the closest collaborators of Rubens in the 30s of the seventeenth century, here assisted by the intervention of a valid collaborator trained within his active workshop. Descendant of a renowned family of artists (since his father was the painter Erasmus Quellinus the Elder) Erasamus Quellinus II operated mainly in Flanders where his activity is testified by the numerous compositions similar to ours, attributed to him and kept in the most important public and private collections. Furthermore, he was the head of a successful atelier where numerous students were trained, including his sons and grandchildren. It is true that in the canvas in question, credibly intended to adorn the walls of a noble residence of a collector, literate or humanist, a careful painting emerges, especially in the insistent search for details, in warm colors, which are specific qualities of the best works performed by Erasmus. For further information please contact us. The work, like every our object, is sold accompanied by a photographic certificate of authenticity in accordance with the law. Follow us also on : https://www.instagram.com/galleriacastelbarco/?hl=it https://www.facebook.com/galleriacastelbarco/