Domenicus van Wijnen
Phineus interrupting the Wedding of Perseus and Andromeda
Oil on canvas (relined). 57.5 x 69.5 cm.
Signed lower left: DVWijnen: Alias Asca (DW joined).
With remains of two red varnish collection stamps to the reverse.
Little is known of Domenicus van Wijnen's life: He was educated in The Hague by the painter and engraver Willem Doudijns and resided in Rome from 1680 to 1690, where he was a member of the “Bentvueghels”, an association of Netherlandish artists in the city. In accordance with the traditions of this circle, van Wijnen also acquired a nickname upon joining. He was known as “Ascanius” in reference to the son of the Trojan hero Aeneas, and Wijnen proudly included this moniker in the signature of his work as “Alias Asca.”
The piece depicts a motif from Greek mythology. Andromeda's uncle Phineas stormed her wedding to Perseus in an attempt to take her hand by force following previous unsuccessful attempts to wed her. Perseus was able to defeat his rival by turning him to stone with the head of Medusa. Wijnen places his battle scene in a palatial architecture surrounded by observers looking on from staircases and galleries, testifying to the influence of his long years in Rome.
The present work is listed by the RKD in The Hague as an authentic piece by Wijnen under the number 235241.
Provenance
H.H. Cevat, Lausanne. - Christie's, Amsterdam, 1.11.2011, lot 5. - Private collection, Rhineland.
Literature
Jan Willem Salomonson: Dominicus van Wijnen, een fantast, doordraaier en schilder van visionaire taferelen, werkend aan het eind van de zeventiende eeuw, in: Kunst & Antiek-Revue 10-3, 1984, p. 23, illus. 13.