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Domenicus van Wijnen , Dutch, 1661-c.1700

Title

The Temptation of Saint Anthony

Date1680s

MediumOil on canvas

Dimensions

72 x 72 cm

Signedcentre left: DVW Æscanius [DVW in monogram]

Credit LinePresented, Mr Arthur Kay, 1901

Object numberNGI.527

DescriptionBorn and educated in the Hague, Van Wijnen travelled to Italy in the 1680s, where he became a member of the ‘Schildersbent’, a society of Dutch and Flemish painters working in Rome. During his initiation to the club, known for its boisterous festivals, he received the nickname ‘Ascanius’, a reference to the son of the Trojan hero Aeneas. About a dozen paintings by Van Wijnen have survived, most of them fantastic allegories containing numerous figures.
This painting depicts St Anthony, a third-century hermit who withdrew to the desert to escape the temptations of the flesh. He lies here beside a book, a candle and a skull, and recites his rosary, looking steadfastly at a crucifix as Lust illuminates her breasts beside him. Behind Lust are Avarice (chained with moneybags), Envy (a crone with snake hair), Pride (a naked woman raised up), Gluttony (drinkers), Sloth (the pig) and Anger (men fighting). The drunken man on the barrel probably represents Bacchus, the god of wine and revelry, and may be a reference to the initiation rituals of the ‘Schildersbent’.

March 2016
ProvenanceArtaria, Vienna, March 1811, J.M. de Birckenstock sale, lot 121; S. Sharp, Esq., 1868; presented, Arthur Kay, Glasgow, 1901 Exhibition HistoryNational Exhibition of Works of Art, Leeds, 1868

Bosch, Goya et la Fantastique, Galerie des Beaux-Arts, Bordeaux, 1957

Centenary Exhibition, National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, October - December 1964

Gods, Saints and Heroes: Dutch Painting in the Age of Rembrandt, National Gallery, Washington; Detroit Institute of Arts; Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, 1980-1981

Dutch Paintings of Golden Age from the Collection of the National Gallery of Ireland, Charles W. Bowers Memorial Museum, Santa Ana, California; Midland Arts Council, Midland, Michigan; Mint Museum, Charlotte, North Carolina; Center for the Fine Arts, Miami, Florida; IBM Gallery, New York, 1987

The Temptation of St. Anthony, Bucerius Kunst Forum, Hamburg, 9 February - 18 May 2008

Label TextSaint Anthony was a third-century hermit who withdrew to the desert to escape the temptations of the flesh. He lies here beside a book, a candle and a skull, and recites his rosary, looking steadfastly at a crucifix as Lust appears and illuminates her breasts. Behind Lust are Avarice (chained with moneybags), Envy (a crone with snake hair), Pride (a naked woman raised up), Gluttony (drinkers), Sloth (the pig) and Anger (men fighting). Born and educated in The Hague, Van Wijnen worked for many years in Italy. Few of his paintings have survived. Most of them are fantastic allegories.