Peter Paul Rubens Lot n° 2

Peter Paul Rubens (copy after) "Battle of the Amazons". Copy by J. Andres. Late 19th century. Peter Paul Rubens1577 Siegen - 1640 Antwerp J. Andres Early 20th century. Peter Paul Rubens1577 Siegen - 1640 Antwerp Oil on canvas. Signed "cop. v. J. Andres." on the left. The large historicist decorative frame is offered in a separate item under cat.no. 937. Almost identical copy after Peter Paul Rubens "Battle of the Amazons". Around 1618, oil on oak, 121 x 165 cm. Bavarian State Painting Collections - Old Pinakothek Munich, Inv.No. 324. Greek myths and legends tell of the warlike peoples of the Amazons, where women went into battle "as men". Already in antiquity, the daring female fighters are the subject of artistic representations. In this painting, they appear as the losers in battle. In a stream of movement circling around the central arch of the bridge, the figures are arranged in a dynamic, flowing composition in the foreground of the picture. Below the bridge, the view is led into the depths over the course of the river, where further troops of warriors and the backdrop of a burning city can be seen. Possibly the depiction is of the Amazonian war between the Athenians and the Amazons recounted in the Theseus myth, which ignited due to Theseus' abduction of Hippolyte. Soiled. Moisture damage in the lower left quarter. Partially with wrinkling, craquelure and loss of paint layer. U.l. within the depiction (in the area of the fallen women) a horizontal crack (ca. 5 cm) as well as further cracks at the lower left edge. Several isolated small paint chips (up to ca. 1 x 1 cm) distributed over the picture surface. Partially with age craquelure. In the marginal areas traces of pressure due to framing as well as abrasion. Dimensions: 121.5 x 166.5 cm. Peter Paul Rubens 1577 Siegen - 1640 Antwerp From 1552 pupil of the painters T. Verhaecht, A. v. Noort and O. v. Veen.1598 Master of the Guild of St. Luke in Antwerp. 1600 Travels through Italy. Works as court painter in Mantua under Hrzg. Vincenzo Gonzaga. 1603-04 commissioned by him at the Spanish court. 1605 in Rome, 1607 in Milan. 1608 return to Antwerp. From 1610 court painter to the Spanish archdukes Albrecht and Isabella. From 1611 own studio with a large number of pupils. 1622 commission in Paris for Maria de Medici. From 1623 active as peace diplomat under Archduke Isabella. 1628 on her behalf in Spain, where he was appointed secretary of the Privy Council. 1629 for peace negotiations between Spain and England in London. After the signing of the peace treaties in 1630 he was knighted. Due to the increasingly diplomatic activity and increased order situation Rubens designed only sketches. He left the execution for the most part to his pupils.