Allegory: The Dream of Raphael (Circe & Ulysses)
Object type | Painting |
Genre | Allegory |
Date | 1595 |
Dimensions | 35 x 51 cm |
Support | Copper |
Medium | Oil |
Signature | BRUEGHEL 1595 |
Collaborators | Hans Rottenhammer |
Collectors/patrons | Francesco Maria del Monte |
Our attribution | Jan Brueghel the Elder |
Other authorities | Ertz 2008-10, #347 Ertz 1979, #15 |
Location | Toronto, Canada |
Collection | Art Gallery of Ontario |
Accession numbers | inv. #86/238 |
Tags | Rottenhammer, Putti, Allegory, Classical, Landscape, Mythological |
There is an inscription by feet of Ulysses which reads SEDET AETERNUM QUE SEDEBIT JFOELIX and by feet of Circe one that reads TVNC CEDE MALIS: SED CONTRA ADVENTIOR. I believe this to be the painting described in Francesco Maria del Monte's 1627 inventory as “Una tavola di mano di Bruculo nella quale vi e una Donna con un’Dardo con alcuni putti, et altre cose...” (Frommel 1971, 37). This work is Jan’s only early copper painting that is larger than the standard 25 x 35 size. The picture in Del Monte’s inventory is also larger than his other Jan Brueghels, listed as 2.25 palmi while the others are around 1.5 palmi.
The picture is based on a print by Giorgio Ghisi after (acc. Bartsch) Luca Penni, from 1561. There is another painting taking off from that same print filed at the RKD under Herri met de Bles.