Frans Francken the Younger

The actual painting is warmer and a little brighter than the catalogue illustration suggests. The single copper plate is slightly wobbly, and there's a small dent and horizontal spot of paint loss of approx. 4 cm. in the lower left corner. Otherwise, no damages are apparent and the paint surface seems to be in good condition. A small retouched scratch is visible in the upper left corner, and a few tiny retouchings can be observed in the sky upper right and in the centre, and in the carriage in the centre. The paint surface is covered with a dull and discoloured layer of varnish, and there's some surface dirt. Inspection under UV light confirms the aforementioned retouchings and reveals a few additional ones in the arch centre right, in the lower right corner, and in a few of the figures lower left. Offered in a plain ebonised wood frame with a gilt fillet, with a few chips. (MW)
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Frans Francken the Younger addressed this mythological subject many times throughout his career. In all of the versions, the reclining sea goddess is accompanied by a host of revelling sea creatures. Also, on the right side of many of these versions, as in this composition, there is an elaborate banquet sheltered by a grotto.¹
Of Francken's many mythological subjects, Amphitrite's Triumph was particularly popular in Antwerp where Neptune was associated with the god of the Scheldt and Amphritite with Antwerpia, the city's female patron. Their marriage symbolised the imminent prosperity brought by the flourishing maritime activities over the river Scheldt following a peaceful period for the Flemish city. The abundance of female nudes in this scene and its erotic connotations would also have contributed to the popularity of the theme.

The monochrome colouring is typical for Francken's later work from the 1630s. Compare for example a very similar composition in the Museo del Prado, Madrid (inv. no. 1523).²

We are grateful to Dr. Ursula Härting for confirming the attribution to Frans Francken the Younger upon first hand inspection. Her written expertise, dated 9 June 2008, accompanies this lot.


1. See U. Härting, Frans Francken der Jüngere (1581-1642), Freren 1989, pp. 310-4, cat. nos. 276-98, reproduced.
2. Härting, op. cit., p. 313, no. 289, reproduced.