Frans Francken II
, Flemish, 1581-1642
Studio of
Frans Francken II
, Flemish, 1581-1642
Title
Ebony CabinetDate1630s
MediumWalnut
Dimensions
152.5 x 123.5 x 48.5 cm
Credit LineBequeathed, 1931
Object numberNGI.2012.216
Label TextThis impressive Flemish cabinet with silver ornamentation is made from ebonised walnut. Inside, the panels of the doors and drawers are decorated with ten paintings by the Antwerp artist Frans Francken II and his studio and depict various episodes from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. The two large paintings on the inside of the outer doors are the most important and were painted and signed by Francken himself. Oliver Cromwell reportedly gave the cabinet as a marriage present to his daughter Bridget and her second husband, Charles Fleetwood, the future Lord Deputy to Ireland, in 1651.