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"Argus and Mercurios"1640
1640
$23,753.83
£17,673.92
€20,000
CA$32,986.70
A$35,470.05
CHF 19,035.49
MX$423,129.29
NOK 239,431.78
SEK 218,960.64
DKK 152,434.50
About the Item
Jan Both (1610–1652) – Attributed
"Argus and Mercury"
Circa 1650
Oil on canvas
Framed: 107.5 x 92 cm
This exceptional Baroque mythological painting is attributed to the renowned Dutch Italianate landscape painter Jan Both, in collaboration with Jan Baptist Weenix and Nikolaus Knüpfer. The scene is inspired by Ovid’s Metamorphoses, capturing the dramatic moment in which Mercury, sent by Jupiter, lulls the watchful Argus to sleep with his flute before delivering the fatal blow to free Io, still depicted in the background as a cow.
Executed with masterful chiaroscuro, the composition blends dramatic storytelling with an expansive Italianate landscape, a hallmark of Both’s style. The rich golden light and fluid brushwork reflect the artist’s exposure to Claude Lorrain’s influence during his time in Rome. This theme was one that Both returned to multiple times throughout his career, with similar versions held in the collections of the Alte Pinakothek in Munich and the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.
Notably, an old frame label attributes the painting to "J. Both, J. B. Weenix, N. Knüpfer", suggesting a collaboration in which Both painted the sweeping landscape, Knüpfer handled the figures, and Weenix contributed the animal elements. The painting has undergone conservation, as indicated by a restoration plate from C. B. van Bohemen, The Hague (1930) on the reverse. The painting is not signed.
Condition: Wax-lined and restored with evident craquelure. The original ornate stucco frame has been reduced to fit the painting’s dimensions, with signs of wear.
A remarkable collector’s piece, offering both historical significance and investment value.
- Attributed to:Jan Both (1618 - 1652, Dutch)
- Creation Year:1640
- Dimensions:Height: 42.33 in (107.5 cm)Width: 36.23 in (92 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement Style:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:Edinburgh, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1987216774652
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