Beskrivning: Se även beskrivning i den engelska versionen

Catalogue raisonné: Description in Flemish paintings C. 1600-C. 1800 III, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, 2010, cat.no. 55: 

Technical notes: The support consists of two radially
sawn boards of oak joined horizontally along the grain.
All four sides have been bevelled slightly. The left, top
and bottom edges have been cut. There is an inscription
on the verso in black paint (PE LS in ligature).
Dendrochronological examination has determined a
felling date for the tree between c.1600 and 1610. The
wood originated from the Baltic region. Under the
assumption of a median of 15 sapwood rings and a minimum
of 2 years for seasoning of the wood, the most
plausible date for use of the panel would be 1608 or later.
The preparation consists of thickly and evenly applied
white ground, probably chalk, that covers the support
completely (raking light visualises traces of tool marks in
the support). The ground is from edge to edge covered
by a light brownish semi-transparent imprimatura.
Infrared examination reveals an underdrawing executed
in a dry medium and a dark underdrawing delineating
the contours of the figures, horses and tents, with occasional
small changes between the drawing and painting
stages. This is seen in the drapery and the right foot of
the running Oriental at the lower right, initially drawn in
a fine line in a slightly different shape and position. The
paint layer is partly opaque and consists of several thin
layers of glazes with some layers of semi-transparent
paint. The imprimatura is partly visible in the shaded
areas, where it forms part of the rendering of the shadows.
The costly fabrics are depicted in mixtures of different
pigments and lakes applied from dark to light with
some glazes, which now have faded. Gilt details have
been added to the garments to emphasise the opulence of
the fabrics and ornaments on the weapons by “shell
gold”. Gold has been used as a underpaint to add resonance
to a thinly applied paint layer for the armour of
the knight in the left of the picture with a cloak that is
now a faded pink. Violet formed by mixing blue pigment
with red madder is present in the armour of a number of
the figures but has now discoloured and is in some cases
brownish. In the green background on the left of the
painting there is an area with several imprints of a finger.
Diagonal lines probably made with a hard point to form
grooves that served as guidelines for the composition.
Reserves were left for the trees in the middle ground and
to the far right in the painting in the background as well
as for the figures.

The paint layer is otherwise intact with few retouches.
Originally the painting had a rich palette, mainly in clear
mixtures of blue, green and red pigments and with glazes
including madder and verdigris. The colour mixtures
applied in thin layers have discoloured or faded. White
paint layers have saponified and become transparent.
The painting underwent conservation treatment in 1935,
1957 and 1966.

Provenance: Possibly war booty Prague; Karlberg, no.
161; KM 1816, no. 174 (as Hendrik de Clerck).
exhibited: Stockholm 1966, no. 1282.

Bibliography: Sander IV, p. 84, no. 174 (as Hendrik de
Clerck); Göthe 1887, p. 52 (as H. de Clerck); Göthe
1893, p. 64 (as Hendrik de Clerck); Granberg 1902, pp.
56, 112, no. 114; NM Cat. 1958, p. 226 (as anonymous
Flemish master); Legrand 1963, pp. 221–22; NM Cat.
1990, p. 69.

This motif is taken from the Bible (Exodus 17:8–16,
the Battle with Amalek). After the people of Israel had
fled from Egypt (in the 12th century B.C.) and arrived
at a place called Rephidim they were attacked by the
Amalekites (an ancient nomadic tribe in the southern
half of the Sinai desert, south of the Dead Sea, who
waged continual war against Israel). Moses then decided
that Joshua (the son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim
and Moses’ companion and deputy) was to select soldiers
and fight Amalek while he stood on the top of a
hill and prayed. Moses was accompanied by Aaron (his
brother and senior by three years) and Hur. Moses
lifted up his arms. When he did so the Israelites prevailed,
but when he lowered them they began to lose.
After a time Moses became tired and sat on a stone
while Aaron and Hur supported his arms. In this way
Moses could keep his arms raised to heaven until sunset
and Joshua could defeat Amalek. Afterwards God
told Moses to write this in his book as a memorial.
God intended to extirpate Amalek from the face of the
earth. “And Moses built an altar and called the name
of it Jehovah is my banner. For he said ‘Indeed I lift up
my hand to the throne of the Lord and affirm that he
will have war with Amalek from generation to genera-
tion’”.
In the foreground we can see knights in battle: King
Amalek has fallen from his horse and is lying wounded
while an enemy raises his sword above him and a
horseman his lance. In the foreground a wounded
Amalekite flees along the road on the right dressed in
a turban and a green mantle, a mounted archer follows
at a distance. On a height to the left in the central
ground the seated Moses can be seen at prayer. In the
background there is a mountain pass.
A painting by Casteels with the same motif was sold
at Sotheby’s in London in 1978.1
GCB

1 See J. de Maere and M. Wabbes, Illustrated Dictionary of 17th century
Flemish Painters, II, p. 224: Pauwel Casteels, “The Battle between
Israelites and Amalekites”, oil on canvas, 135x203, London, Sotheby’s, 12
July 1978, lot 241.[End]

Foto: Erik Cornelius / Nationalmuseum 2009

Josua besegrar Amalek