Neptune and Amphitrite
Frans Francken the Youngerc. 1616 - 1620
Brukenthal National Museum
Sibiu, Romania
The scene presents the wedding ceremony of Neptune (Greek: Poseidon), God of the Sea, to the Nereid (sea nymph) Amphitrite; the painting is part of the more general subject of the Sea Triumph. Following the classical model from Antiquity, the two protagonists are represented driving a chariot, surrounded by fabulous creatures of the deep, such as Tritons and Nereids. Neptune is carrying his characteristic trident, while Amphitrite is individualized and set off from the other Nereids by her accessories and regal bearing. Among the members of the wedding procession we notice Venus (in the lower left corner), floating on a half shell, accompanied by Cupid, her presence representing the warranty of the love of the bride and the bridegroom. ©Dana Roxana Hrib, European Art Gallery Guidebook, Second edition, Sibiu 2011.
Details
- Title: Neptune and Amphitrite
- Creator: Frans Francken II
- Creator Lifespan: 1581 - 1642
- Creator Nationality: Flemish
- Creator Gender: Male
- Date: c. 1616 - 1620
- Physical Dimensions: w74 x h53 cm (Without frame)
- Photo copyright: ©Christof Weber
- Collecting: Brukenthal National Museum, vSibiu, Romania
- Artist Biography: The Flemish painter Frans Francken II was the most widely known representative of a family of painters, who were active in the Baroque period. He studied under his father, Frans Francken the Elder, and an uncle, who worked as a painter in Paris. He painted altarpieces and decorative panels for furniture but his true reputation rests on his small-scale paintings on mythological, allegorical and historical subjects. Frans Francken II was the first artist who used the inside of a painting gallery as the subject of his paintings. ©Dana Roxana Hrib, European Art Gallery Guidebook, Second edition, Sibiu 2011.
- Provenance: Brukenthal National Museum
- Type: painting
- Medium: oil on wood
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