Erasmus Quellinus the Younger

With Julius Singer, London 1942

G. Gevartius, Inscriptiones honori serenissimi principis, Leopold Gulielmi, archiducis Austriae, Antwerp 1648;
I. en Evers, H.G. von Roder-Baumbach, Versieringen bij Blijde Inkomsten, Antwerp-Utrecht 1943, p. 163, fig. 83;
Exhibition catalogue, Antwerp, Stedelijk Prentenkabinet, Het bestendig dotatiefonds voor Staatsbibliothek en Museum Plantin-Moretus 1905-75, 1976, no. 68;
J.P. de Bruyn, 'Officiëlle opdrachten aan Erasmus II Quellinus', in Jaarboek van het Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten te Antwerpen, Antwerp 1983, pp. 230-233, fig. 12;
J.P. de Bruyn, Erasmus Quellinus, Freren 1988, p. 178, no. 111, reproduced, (wrongly described as signed).

The stable support consists of three horizontal panels and has a very slight convex bow. The paint surface is secure, if dirty, and the detail of the arch and its sculptures are well-preserved. The paint surface is a little thin throughout but as an oil sketch it is likely that the paint was thinly applied in the first place. There are some old spots of dirt on the surface of the painting, as are visible in the catalogue illustration. The panel joins are visible on the paint surface, particularly towards the right and left hand margins of the painting. Some retouchings along these joins are visible to the naked eye. An old restored knock is visible within the left hand flag due to the unevenness of the painting's surface in this area. Another small knock and patch of paint loss can be seen in the central arch of the structure. Finally, there is some frame abrasion along the right and left hand margins and a small knock to the upper left hand corner which has resulted in some paint loss. Inspection under UV light is greatly impeded by the old, reflective varnish which covers the work, but does confirm the aforementioned retouchings and further reveals retouchings along the margins of the painting, presumably in response to some old frame abrasion. It seems to suggest that there are fairly extensive retouching to the background of the work, but very few retouchings are discernible to the central structure of the painting. Offered in an ornate carved gilt wood frame in good condition, if a little rubbed.
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This important sketch represents Quellinus's design for a temporary classical loggia erected in the Grote Markt in Antwerp on the occasion of the Proclamation of the Peace of Münster on the 5th June 1648. We know of the loggia's final appearance  from two sources: Wenzel Hollar's famous engraving of 1648 (fig.1) and a large canvas today in the Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten in Antwerp, sometime attributed to the somewhat obscure city painter Maximilian Pauwels (fig.2^)1. In both of these we can see that the finished loggia closely follows Quellinus's design, with a central arch flanked by statues of Mercury and Apollo, Hercules and a herm, and above the pediment a statue of Peace flanked by figures of Justice and Plenty (shown in reverse in Hollar's engraving).  To either side two twin columned arches end in statues of Neptune and Ceres, and above them is a balustrade with candles flanking a wreath and horns of plenty symbolising Accord and Peace, and which ends in figures of a griffin and a lion holding flags aloft. Within the arches can be glimpsed portraits and a coat of arms. The only portion of the temporary structure to have survived is the figure of Peace, which is in today in Antwerp, Museum Vleehuis². In his general design Quellinus was no doubt influenced by his master Rubens's own famous designs for the Triumphal Entry of the Cardinal Infant Ferdinand in Antwerp in 1635. The success of this design led to further similar commissions for Quellinus, including, for example, a similar project for the Entry of the Archduke Don John of Austria in May 1657.

The Peace of Münster in 1648 was without question the most important political event in the Low Countries in the 17th century, for it marked the end of the Eighty Years War between the Dutch provinces and Spain. A treaty signed between the Dutch Republic and Spain, it formed part of the Peace of Westphalia and simultaneously marked the end of the Thirty Years War and the independence of the United Netherlands from the Spanish crown. The event was painted by Gerard ter Borch and Bartholomeus van der Helst among others.

1. For which see, for example, the exhibition catalogue, Antwerpen, verhaal van een metropool 16de-17de eeuw, Antwerp, Hessenhuis, 1993, nos. 168;
2. Inv. AV5661, exhibited Antwerp 1993, no. 169.