Saint Martin Dividing his Cloak (van Dyck)

Last updated
Saint Martin Dividing his Cloak
Anthony van Dyck - Saint Martin sharing his cloak with a beggar.jpg
Artist Anthony van Dyck
Yearc. 1618
Type Oil on panel
Dimensions171 cm× 157.5 cm(67 in× 62.0 in)
LocationSint-Martinuskerk (Saint Martin's Church), Zaventem, Belgium

St Martin Dividing his Cloak is a painting by the Flemish painter Anthony van Dyck dated around 1618, which is an altarpiece in the Sint-Martinuskerk (Saint Martin's Church) in Zaventem, Belgium. [1] The painting portrays the story of Saint Martin sharing his cloak with a beggar. This early work of van Dyck was painted when he was strongly influenced by Rubens's style. [2]

Contents

Depicted story

The painting depicts a story about the fourth-century Christian Saint Martin of Tours. The young Martin was according to legend a soldier serving in the army of Constantine the Great stationed in the French city of Amiens. On a winter's day while riding out of the city gates he saw a poor man shivering from the cold. He promptly cut his cloak in half and gave one half to the beggar. That night while asleep he had a vision of Christ wearing the part of the cloak which he had given to the beggar. Christ told the angels who surrounded him: "See how Martin has covered me with his cloak." Martin, who had converted to Christianity as a child but had become a soldier at his father's behest, then left the military to devote his life to the Christian faith. [3]

Description

The painting shows the youthful Martin wearing a harness and a fashionable hat sitting on his splendid white horse. He has almost entirely cut his fire-red cloak in two with the sword in his right hand, while a naked beggar sitting on the ground to the right is pulling at one half of the cloak. Another beggar in rags on the right of the first one is kneeling while he supports himself with crutches. Behind these two figures is a section of wall with ivy and a column, suggesting a city gate. At the top left behind St Martin is an older man on horseback who is looking at the scene with an expression of astonishment. Behind the two riders is the silhouette of a man with a helmet and beyond this a beautiful sky with clouds, which creates the illusion of depth and vastness. [4]

This work is regarded as one of van Dyck's most Rubensian paintings: not only are the figures close to those of Rubens, but also the brushwork is influenced by Rubens. Instead of van Dyck's characteristic loose brushstroke, a smooth and opaque paint treatment was used, creating a very sculptural effect. [4] The red color of the cloak, the light and dark flesh colors, bluish in the shadow and the whites and grays in the horse are also typical for Rubens' style. [5]

History

St Martin Dividing his Cloak, Royal Collection Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641) - St Martin Dividing his Cloak - RCIN 405878 - Royal Collection.jpg
St Martin Dividing his Cloak, Royal Collection

Julius Held has suggested that the Zaventem commission was first given to Rubens and that Rubens even produced a preliminary sketch but later handed the commission over to van Dyck, who was then an assistant in Rubens' workshop. [2] The painting was then completed by van Dyck around 1618 and remained in his studio until it was installed in the Zaventem church in 1621. [6] In 1621 the Chancellor of Brabant, Ferdinand van Boisschot wanted to donate a painting to the local parish church in Zaventem dedicated to St Martin. He commissioned a painting of the saint from van Dyck who then used the existing painting to fill the order. [7] According to a story, which has been debunked, van Dyck would have delivered the painting to van Boisschot en route from Antwerp to Italy when he decided to stay for some time in Zaventem as he had fallen in love with a pretty local woman named Anna van Ophem. [5]

The painting was temporarily moved to the residence of Baron van Boisschot in Brussels during the military campaigns of French king Louis XIV around 1672. It was, on the orders of the French government, removed from the church and taken in August 1794 to Paris where it was subsequently exhibited in the Musée Central in the Louvre. The work was repatriated in 1815 after the defeat of the French and returned to the church in 1816. [8]

1620 version in the Royal Collection

A later, larger (243.1 x 242.5 cm) version of the painting on canvas is kept at Windsor Castle as part of the Royal Collection. [9] This version dates from around 1620 and was probably left behind in Rubens' studio after van Dyck's departure that year. Several copies after this version exist, indicating it was still in Antwerp and available for other artists to copy. It was in Spain by the 1740s, where it was bought by Mr Bagnols and subsequently by Frederick, Prince of Wales before September 1747. [1]

In the Royal Collection painting the group of beggars was extended to include a woman, two children and a dog. The poses of the principal figures also differ between the two pictures. [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zaventem</span> Municipality in Flemish Community, Belgium

Zaventem is a municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is located in the Dijleland area, one of the three large recreational areas which together form the Groene Gordel around the Brussels-Capital Region. The municipality comprises the subdivisions or deelgemeenten of Nossegem, Sint-Stevens-Woluwe, Sterrebeek and Zaventem proper. The municipality is a suburb of Brussels, and Sint-Stevens-Woluwe directly borders the city, specifically the Woluwe-Saint-Lambert municipality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony van Dyck</span> Flemish Baroque artist (1599–1641)

Sir Anthony van Dyck was a Flemish Baroque artist who became the leading court painter in England after success in the Spanish Netherlands and Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philip Fruytiers</span> (1610–1666) Flemish Baroque painter and engraver

Philip Fruytiers (1610–1666) was a Flemish Baroque painter and engraver. Until the 1960s, he was especially known for his miniature portraits in watercolor and gouache. Since then, several large canvases signed with the monogram PHF have been ascribed to him. These new findings have led to a renewed appreciation for his contribution to the Antwerp Baroque.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alte Pinakothek</span> Art museum in Munich, Germany

The Alte Pinakothek is an art museum located in the Kunstareal area in Munich, Germany. It is one of the oldest galleries in the world and houses a significant collection of Old Master paintings. The name Alte (Old) Pinakothek refers to the time period covered by the collection—from the fourteenth to the eighteenth century. The Neue Pinakothek, re-built in 1981, covers nineteenth-century art, and Pinakothek der Moderne, opened in 2002, exhibits modern art. All three galleries are part of the Bavarian State Painting Collections, an organization of the Free state of Bavaria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cornelis de Vos</span> 17th-century Flemish painter

Cornelis de Vos was a Flemish painter, draughtsman and art dealer. He was one of the leading portrait painters in Antwerp and is best known for his sensitive portraits, in particular of children and families. He was also successful in other genres including history, religious and genre painting. He was a regular collaborator with Rubens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucas Vorsterman the Elder</span> Baroque engraver

Lucas Vorsterman (1595–1675) was a Baroque engraver. He worked with the artists Peter Paul Rubens and Anthony van Dyck, as well as for patrons such as Thomas Howard, 21st Earl of Arundel and Charles I of England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Paul Rubens</span> Flemish artist and diplomat (1577–1640)

Sir Peter Paul Rubens was a Flemish artist and diplomat. He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque tradition. Rubens's highly charged compositions reference erudite aspects of classical and Christian history. His unique and immensely popular Baroque style emphasised movement, colour, and sensuality, which followed the immediate, dramatic artistic style promoted in the Counter-Reformation. Rubens was a painter producing altarpieces, portraits, landscapes, and history paintings of mythological and allegorical subjects. He was also a prolific designer of cartoons for the Flemish tapestry workshops and of frontispieces for the publishers in Antwerp.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deodat del Monte</span> Dutch painter, architect, astronomer (1582–1644)

Deodat del Monte, Deodat van der Mont or Deodatus Delmont was a Baroque painter, architect, engineer, astronomer, and art dealer who was part of the inner circle of Peter Paul Rubens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferdinand van Boisschot</span>

Ferdinand van Boisschot or de Boisschot (1570–1649), Baron of Zaventem, was a jurist and diplomat from the Low Countries who became chancellor of the Duchy of Brabant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacques Ignatius de Roore</span>

Jacques Ignatius de Roore or Jacobus Ignatius de Roore was a Flemish painter, copyist, art dealer and art collector who worked in the Southern Netherlands and the Dutch Republic.

<i>Venus with a Mirror</i> Painting by Titian

Venus with a Mirror is a painting by Titian, now in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, and it is considered to be one of the collection's highlights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Charles Borromeo Church, Antwerp</span> Church in Antwerp, Belgium

St. Charles Borromeo Church is a church in central Antwerp, located on the Hendrik Conscience square. It was built in 1615-1621 as the Jesuit church of Antwerp, which was closed in 1773. It was rededicated in 1779 to Saint Charles Borromeo. The church was formerly known for 39 ceiling pieces by Rubens that were lost in a fire when lightning struck the church on 18 July 1718.

<i>Theodosius and Saint Ambrose</i> Painting by Peter Paul Rubens

Theodosius and Saint Ambrose is a painting by Peter Paul Rubens, with assistance from his main pupil Anthony van Dyck, executed c. 1615–1616. It is now in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. Rubens created the preparatory drawing, with the painting almost entirely done by van Dyck, who painted his own similar version of the subject a few years later. In the Rubens version, the architectural background is less defined, Theodosius is bearded and the spear and halberd in van Dyck's own version are omitted.

<i>Saint Ambrose barring Theodosius from Milan Cathedral</i> Painting by Anthony van Dyck

Saint Ambrose barring Theodosius from Milan Cathedral is a painting of c. 1619–20 by Anthony van Dyck in the National Gallery, in London.

<i>Magistrates of Brussels</i> Painting by Anthony van Dyck

Magistrates of Brussels was a 163435 oil painting by Anthony van Dyck. It was destroyed in the French bombardment of Brussels in 1695. Its composition is known from a grisaille sketch in the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, which Van Dyck prepared to show how he planned to lay out the work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Paul's Church, Antwerp</span>

St. Paul's Church is a Roman Catholic church located at the Veemarkt in Antwerp, Belgium. Its exterior is mainly Gothic with a Baroque tower while the interior is characterised by its rich Baroque decoration. It holds paintings by Antwerp's leading artists Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony van Dyck and Jacob Jordaens as well as abundant sculpture and church furniture crafted by leading Antwerp sculptors such as Artus Quellinus the Elder, Pieter Verbrugghen I, Jan Pieter van Baurscheit de Elder, Jan Claudius de Cock and Andries Colyns de Nole. Of particular note is the Calvary outside the Church which is made up of 63 life-size statues and nine reliefs executed in a popular and theatrical style.

<i>Crucifixion with the Virgin Mary, St John and St Mary Magdalene</i> Painting by Anthony van Dyck

Crucifixion with the Virgin Mary, St John and St Mary Magdalene is a painting by the Flemish artist Anthony van Dyck. He produced it in 1617–1619 as the high altarpiece for the Jesuit church in Bergues, near Dunkirk, during his time as an assistant painter to Peter Paul Rubens—to whom the painting was long attributed. It was paid to Rubens in 1621 and seems to have been sold around 1746. It was bought by Louis XV of France in Antwerp in 1749 to be the high altarpiece of Saint-Louis de Versailles at the Palace of Versailles. It is now in the Louvre, in Paris.

<i>Cupid and Psyche</i> (van Dyck) 17th-century painting by Anthony van Dyck

Cupid and Psyche is an oil on canvas painting by Anthony van Dyck. It is now in the British Royal Collection and shown in Kensington Palace.

<i>Self-portrait with Sir Endymion Porter</i> 1635 painting by Anthony van Dyck

Self-portrait with Sir Endymion Porter is a self-portrait by Anthony van Dyck, showing him with his patron Sir Endymion Porter.

References

  1. 1 2 Anthony van Dyck, Saint Martin of Tours dividing his cloak at the Netherlands Institute for Art History
  2. 1 2 John Rupert Martin, The Young van Dyck and Rubens, RACAR : Revue d'art canadienne / Canadian Art Review, 10(1), 37–43
  3. Attributed to Jan Boeckhorst, Saint Martin Dividing His Cloak, c. 1640/1645 at the National Gallery of Art
  4. 1 2 Leen Huet, Antoon Van Dyck - Sint Maarten en de liefde, OKV2017.1 55ste jaargang
  5. 1 2 Léo van Puyvelde, Van Dyck's St. Martin at Windsor and at Saventhem, The Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs, Vol. 77, No. 449 (Aug., 1940), pp. 36-39+41-4
  6. Masterpieces of Western Art, page 307
  7. Estelle M. Hurll, Van Dyck: A Collection of Fifteen Pictures and a Portrait of the Painter (1902). Transcription available on Project Gutenberg.
  8. Anthony Van Dyck (1599 - 1641), Saint Martin Dividing his Cloak, Parish Church, Zaventem, Belgium at the Jordaens van Dyck Panel Paintings Project
  9. 1 2 "Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641), St Martin Dividing his Cloak". King's Drawing Room, Windsor Castle, at the Royal Collection Trust