Beskrivning: Se även beskrivning i den engelska versionen

Catalogue raisonné: Description in Flemish paintings C. 1600-C. 1800 III, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, 2010, cat.no. 157: 

Technical notes: The support consists of two pieces
of densely woven plain weave fabric that have been sewn
together vertically. The left hand piece is 75.5 cm wide,
the right one 66 cm. The painting has not been cut. The
canvas probably come from the same bale. The painting
has been lined and mounted on a strainer converted to a
stretcher. There are remnants of a red seal on the reverse
of the stretcher with a coat of arms on the left and right
sides. The canvas was prepared with a thick layer of dark
grey but irregularities in the texture of the fabric are
partly visible all over the painting.¨

Paint has been applied generously in thick layers with
vigorous brushstrokes and covers the ground completely.
There are numerous areas of impasto. Highlights stand
out in relief. There are irregularities in the paint with
coarse particles of pigment that have not been mixed
thoroughly. The figure of Mercury has been painted into
the reserved area left for it but adjustments have been
made along the contours. No reserves were left for the
details but they were executed directly on to the background
in the form of staffs, bows, fruit and flowers, as
well as wings. Reserved areas were left for the putti
standing on the left. The figure on the far left has been
painted directly on to the background. There is a paler,
cooler layer of paint under Mercury’s flesh tones. The
palette is rich with strong red pigments, blue, pale pink,
yellow, probably lead- tin yellow, madder, partly faded.
The contours of the figures have been adjusted. There
are pentimenti on the left side of Mercury’s gown which
the right. The execution of the foreground with its profuse
detail is well modelled. The inscription at the bottom
seems to have been painted over with a layer of
brown that has darkened. The text has later been filled
out. The painting is well preserved and underwent conservation
treatment in 1861, 1961 and 2009.

Provenance: Coll. Bodissoni 1757; bought by Gustav III
(as Crown Prince) 1758; Coll. Gustav III 1761, no. 9 ; Gustav
III, 1792, no. 72; KM 1795, no. 29; KM 1816, no. 674.

Exhibited: Stockholm 1977, no. 17; Stockholm 2010, no.
20.

Bibliography: Sander II, p. 108, no. 72; Rooses III,
1881, p. 318; Göthe 1887, pp. 229–230 (as circle of
Rubens); Göthe 1893, pp. 282–283 (as circle of Rubens);
Granberg 1931, p. 13 (as Theodor van Thulden), p. 165;
NM Cat. 1958, p. 176; Martin 1972, no. 47, pp. 184, 185
(as copy after Rubens); NM Cat.1990, p. 319 (workshop
of Rubens, copy after).

When the City of Antwerp offered the new Spanish
Governor of the Netherlands, the Cardinal-Infante
Ferdinand, a ceremonious entry into the city on 4
November 1634, Rubens was entrusted with the task
of arranging the artistic decoration. He was helped in
the composition of the iconographic programme by
two of his closest friends, the humanist Jan Casper
Gevaerts (Gevartius) and a councillor of state and former
mayor of the city, Nicolas Rockox. The original
commission was for a relatively modest arrangement
comprising two triumphal arches and four theatres.
Full of creative energy, Rubens also proposed a monumental
portico with statues of the twelve Habsburg
emperors. The master of the city mint also erected an
arch designed by Rubens and Gevaerts, as did the
Fugger family of merchants. Rubens was assisted by an
entire army of architects, carpenters, sculptors and
painters. As time was short, fairly large modelli were
painted in oil for the most important sections. Rubens
also painted sketches of the sculptures and paintings
that were to decorate the arches.1 The artists commissioned
to produce paintings were, apart from Rubens,
Theodor van Thulden, Hans Jordaens and Cornelis
de Vos. The actual entry took place on 17 April 1635.
A record of the entry, the Pompa Introitus Ferdinandi,
with plates by Theodor van Thulden and texts by
Gevaerts was published in Antwerp in 1642.
Rubens’ original sketch for The Stage of Mercury, a
triumphal arch or stage positioned in 1635 at the St.
Jan’s bridge in Antwerp, is now in the Hermitage in St.
Petersburg.1 The entire composition was
intended to represent the decline of trade in Antwerp
in the absence of Mercury.2 The painted decoration of
this stage was allotted to Theodor van Thulden. Within
the large central opening was a painting of Mercury
Leaving Antwerp, later lost in a fire in the palace in
Brussels in 1731. The god of commerce, a caduceus
and a purse held in his upraised hand, is about to take
flight from the pedestal on which he has been poised:
little winged putti are trying to constrain him.
The canvas was kept in the palace at Brussels and
later went into the collection of the Archduke Leopold
Wilhelm. It was depicted by David Teniers II in his
representation of the Archducal Gallery, now at
Schleissheim.3
The painting in the Nationalmuseum, which Rooses
believed to be a fragment of the original canvas, is a
later copy of the principal figure in the original work.
As Martin remarks “ the draughtsmanship is too spiritless
and the handling to hard and unfeeling to be by
Van Thulden”.
The Stage of Mercury, like the other painted decorations
for the ceremonious entry, was engraved by Van
Thulden .4
GCB

1 Cat. 1870, no. 565.
2 See Rooses 1881, pp. 230, 236aa.
3 See Speth-Holterhoff 1957, pp. 146-147.
4 Etching by Van Thulden, Mercurius Abiturens; See Martin, no. 46.[End]Description in Flemish paintings C. 1600-C. 1800 III, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, 2010, cat.no. 157: 

Technical notes: The support consists of two pieces
of densely woven plain weave fabric that have been sewn
together vertically. The left hand piece is 75.5 cm wide,
the right one 66 cm. The painting has not been cut. The
canvas probably come from the same bale. The painting
has been lined and mounted on a strainer converted to a
stretcher. There are remnants of a red seal on the reverse
of the stretcher with a coat of arms on the left and right
sides. The canvas was prepared with a thick layer of dark
grey but irregularities in the texture of the fabric are
partly visible all over the painting.¨

Paint has been applied generously in thick layers with
vigorous brushstrokes and covers the ground completely.
There are numerous areas of impasto. Highlights stand
out in relief. There are irregularities in the paint with
coarse particles of pigment that have not been mixed
thoroughly. The figure of Mercury has been painted into
the reserved area left for it but adjustments have been
made along the contours. No reserves were left for the
details but they were executed directly on to the background
in the form of staffs, bows, fruit and flowers, as
well as wings. Reserved areas were left for the putti
standing on the left. The figure on the far left has been
painted directly on to the background. There is a paler,
cooler layer of paint under Mercury’s flesh tones. The
palette is rich with strong red pigments, blue, pale pink,
yellow, probably lead- tin yellow, madder, partly faded.
The contours of the figures have been adjusted. There
are pentimenti on the left side of Mercury’s gown which
the right. The execution of the foreground with its profuse
detail is well modelled. The inscription at the bottom
seems to have been painted over with a layer of
brown that has darkened. The text has later been filled
out. The painting is well preserved and underwent conservation
treatment in 1861, 1961 and 2009.

Provenance: Coll. Bodissoni 1757; bought by Gustav III
(as Crown Prince) 1758; Coll. Gustav III 1761, no. 9 ; Gustav
III, 1792, no. 72; KM 1795, no. 29; KM 1816, no. 674.

Exhibited: Stockholm 1977, no. 17; Stockholm 2010, no.
20.

Bibliography: Sander II, p. 108, no. 72; Rooses III,
1881, p. 318; Göthe 1887, pp. 229–230 (as circle of
Rubens); Göthe 1893, pp. 282–283 (as circle of Rubens);
Granberg 1931, p. 13 (as Theodor van Thulden), p. 165;
NM Cat. 1958, p. 176; Martin 1972, no. 47, pp. 184, 185
(as copy after Rubens); NM Cat.1990, p. 319 (workshop
of Rubens, copy after).

When the City of Antwerp offered the new Spanish
Governor of the Netherlands, the Cardinal-Infante
Ferdinand, a ceremonious entry into the city on 4
November 1634, Rubens was entrusted with the task
of arranging the artistic decoration. He was helped in
the composition of the iconographic programme by
two of his closest friends, the humanist Jan Casper
Gevaerts (Gevartius) and a councillor of state and former
mayor of the city, Nicolas Rockox. The original
commission was for a relatively modest arrangement
comprising two triumphal arches and four theatres.
Full of creative energy, Rubens also proposed a monumental
portico with statues of the twelve Habsburg
emperors. The master of the city mint also erected an
arch designed by Rubens and Gevaerts, as did the
Fugger family of merchants. Rubens was assisted by an
entire army of architects, carpenters, sculptors and
painters. As time was short, fairly large modelli were
painted in oil for the most important sections. Rubens
also painted sketches of the sculptures and paintings
that were to decorate the arches.1 The artists commissioned
to produce paintings were, apart from Rubens,
Theodor van Thulden, Hans Jordaens and Cornelis
de Vos. The actual entry took place on 17 April 1635.
A record of the entry, the Pompa Introitus Ferdinandi,
with plates by Theodor van Thulden and texts by
Gevaerts was published in Antwerp in 1642.
Rubens’ original sketch for The Stage of Mercury, a
triumphal arch or stage positioned in 1635 at the St.
Jan’s bridge in Antwerp, is now in the Hermitage in St.
Petersburg.1 The entire composition was
intended to represent the decline of trade in Antwerp
in the absence of Mercury.2 The painted decoration of
this stage was allotted to Theodor van Thulden. Within
the large central opening was a painting of Mercury
Leaving Antwerp, later lost in a fire in the palace in
Brussels in 1731. The god of commerce, a caduceus
and a purse held in his upraised hand, is about to take
flight from the pedestal on which he has been poised:
little winged putti are trying to constrain him.
The canvas was kept in the palace at Brussels and
later went into the collection of the Archduke Leopold
Wilhelm. It was depicted by David Teniers II in his
representation of the Archducal Gallery, now at
Schleissheim.3
The painting in the Nationalmuseum, which Rooses
believed to be a fragment of the original canvas, is a
later copy of the principal figure in the original work.
As Martin remarks “ the draughtsmanship is too spiritless
and the handling to hard and unfeeling to be by
Van Thulden”.
The Stage of Mercury, like the other painted decorations
for the ceremonious entry, was engraved by Van
Thulden .4
GCB

1 Cat. 1870, no. 565.
2 See Rooses 1881, pp. 230, 236aa.
3 See Speth-Holterhoff 1957, pp. 146-147.
4 Etching by Van Thulden, Mercurius Abiturens; See Martin, no. 46.[End]

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Peter Paul Rubens | Merkurius lämnar Antwerpen. Fragment av större målning | Nationalmuseum