Dutch School 2nd half 17th century
Silvio and the wounded Dorinda
Oil on canvas (relined). 110.5 x 92 cm.
Depicted is a scene from Giovanni Battista Guarini’s pastoral tragicomedy “Il Pastor Fido” (IV, 8) set in Arcadia: the nymph Dorinda loves Silvio, who is only interested in hunting. She is in the bushes hiding in animal-skin, and one of his arrows accidentally wounds her in the leg. The man behind her is Linco, her guardian. Seeing her wounded, Silvio finally realizes his feelings for Dorinda, and the two get married.
The depiction of tragic lovers was a popular motif in Dutch Baroque painting. Venus and Adonis were a frequently chosen theme, depicted for example by Jacob Backer, Cornelis Holsteyn or Jan van Neck. Jan van Neck (c. 1634/35-1714), who worked in Amsterdam, created a painting “Dorina, Silvio and Linco” in 1662 (Hermitage, St Petersburg, inv. no. 1118), which may have served as a model for the present picture.
We would like to thank Dr. Angela Jager of the RKD, Den Haag for her valuable assistance in cataloguing this lot.
Provenance
Belgian private collection.