Art Institute of Chicago
The Battle between the Gods and the Giants
Joachim Antonisz. Wtewael (Dutch, c. 1566–1638)LinkedCulture matchlcp-0e0219e90e28
- Date
- c. 1608
- Medium
- Oil on copper
- Culture
- Netherlands
- Department
- Painting and Sculpture of Europe
- Institution
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Object ID
- 105466
From the Art Institute of Chicago record
The subject of the victory of the gods of Olympus over the ancient race of giants provided Joachim Wtewael with the opportunity to depict exaggerated athletic poses and striking contrasts of space and light. From the clouds, the Olympian gods wield their attributes as weapons: Jupiter hurls thunderbolts; Neptune brandishes his triton; and Mercury uses his caduceus as a spear. The helmeted figure on the right is Minerva, the goddess of wisdom and war. The painting's gemlike effect results from the use of a copper support and from its small scale. The artist's self-conscious display of his skills was a hallmark of the international style known as Mannerism, which was fashionable in Holland around 1600.
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Provenance & credit
As published by the source institution. Coverage varies — not every institution's open-data feed includes ownership history.
- Credit line
- Through prior acquisition of the George F. Harding Fund
- Provenance
- Possibly Adriaan Bout, sold, The Hague, August 11, 1733, no. 108, “De Reusen tegen de Goden Strydende, heel curieus en uytvoerig Geschildert, door Uytewael, h. 6 d. br. 8 d. (the giants fighting against thegods, very rare and minutely painted by Wtewael” for 275 fl. [Gerard Hoet, Catalogus of Naamlyst van Schilderyen…, The Hague, 1752, vol. 1, p. 392]. Possibly Count van Wassenaar Obdam, sold, De Hondt, The Hague, August 19, 1750, no. 115, “De Reusen Stryd, tegen de Gooden, door Jochem Uittewaal. h. 6 d., br. 8 d. “ for 300 fl. [Hoet, vol. 2, p. 298]. Probably Willem Lormier, The Hague; sold A. Franken, The Hague, July 4, 1763, no. 206, “De Stryd der Reusen, tegen de Goden. K[uiper]. Breet 7 3/4, Hoog, 6 (the battle of giants and gods, on copper” for 115 fl. Vosmaar” [annotated sale catalogue, Art Institute of Chicago]. Probably Jan Tak, Leiden, sold, Zoeterwoude, September 5, 1781, no. 64a as a pair to Delfos, “"Een weergae werbeeldende Jupiter zittende op de Wolken met den Blixem in zijn hand, verzeld van Goden, terwijl de Reuzen op de voorgrond staande den Hemel bestormen, waarvan men 'er een meenigte in 't verschiet ziet nedertuimelen. Deeze twee stukjes zijn konstig geordonneert, fraai getekend, en zoo uitvoerig en kragtig of het Geëmailleert was, en met olijverf op koper geschildert, ieder is hoog 6, breed 7 duim." [annotated catalogue in the Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie, The Hague; this and the Lormier picture were sold with a Diana and Acteon by Wtewael of the same dimensions]. Possibly Van Leyden; sold, Paris, September 10, 1804,no. 113 [pendants of Jupiter defeating the titans and Diana and Acteon 8 x 6 pouces, but described as on panel]. Private collection, Russia, c. 1900 [Matthiesen 1985, p. 30, based on Russian newspaper used to mount picture]. Private collection, England [according to Matthiesen 1985, p. 30 and Lowenthal 1986, p. 102]; Matthiesen Fine Ltd, by 1985; sold to the Art Institute, 1986.
Linked open data
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- Object type
- AAT300033618
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