Abraham van Cuylenborch Utrecht before 1620 - 1658

Believed to have been in a private collection in Stuttgart until recently.

Cuylenborch completed his early training in Utrecht in the studio of the leading Dutch Italianate painter of his day, Cornelis van Poelenburgh (1594/5-1667). The highly successful style of Poelenburgh was to exert an influence on the young Cuylenborch which was to remain with him throughout his career. He is recorded being made an independent master of the Guild of Saint Luke in Utrecht in 1639. The present picture may be compared to a similar signed composition by Cuylenborch which was dated 1653 and was offered London, Phillip’s, 20 April 1993, lot 21. A similar dating might be proposed for the present picture.

The subject is taken from Lucian’s Dialogue of the Gods (20). Paris, the young son of the King Priam of Phrygia who had been caste out in the mountains as an infant and had been brought up as a shepherd was approached by Mercury and three goddesses on Mount Ida, in the north west of present day Turkey, and asked to award a golden apple to the fairest. Each goddess tried to influence the result of the contest. Juno the queen of the Gods promised the him temporal wealth and power, Minerva the goddess of wisdom promised him both wisdom and victory in battle, and Venus the goddess of love promised to reward him with the love of any woman he desired. Paris chose Venus and asked for the love of Helen of Troy. His choice and subsequent abduction of Helen was to lead to the outbreak of the Trojan war.

Sold with a photo certificate by Ellen Bernt, 1992, as by Cuylenborch.