Diana and her Nymphs Resting after the Hunt
Hans von Aachen (1552–1615)
c. 1602
this site may contain automatically translated text
Apparently born and trained in Cologne, Hans von Aachen was in Italy by 1574, and remained there for over a decade. By the late 1580s, he was based in Munich, where in 1596 he married the daughter of the famous composer Orlandus Lassus. It was probably later that same year that he settled in Prague, where – after Bartholomäus Spranger – he was the most important painter active at the court of Emperor Rudolph II. The present work was an imperial commission, which is listed as no. 1178 in the 1621 inventory of Rudolph’s collection, and was subsequently carried off by the Swedes during the sack of Prague in 1648. Intriguingly, however, during his years in Prague, Hans von Aachen is also documented as having worked for Prince Karl I von Liechtenstein.
Both the appearance and the dimensions of this painting are essentially identical to those of Von Aachen’s Allegory of Peace in the Hermitage, which is signed and dated 1602. The difference is that the attributes of the various figures have been modified, with the result that Diana is clearly identified by her hunting-spear, and the surrounding nymphs with hounds and a dead deer. What is more, there is a background vignette of a stag-hunt with one figure on horseback and another running beside him. The elegantly artificial and elongated figure type of the goddess, as well as the almost claustrophobic compression of the composition, are both strikingly and characteristically dependent upon the works of Italian artists from the first half of the sixteenth century such as Michelangelo (1475–1564) and Parmigianino (1503–40). It would appear that Watteau (1684–1721) was acquainted with some sort of variant of the present work, since the figure of Diana – again with a spear and her nymphs – is quoted in the prominent oval painting in his Enseigne de Gersaint in Schloss Charlottenburg in Berlin.
- Material/technique
- oil on canvas
- Measurements
- 195 × 125 cm
- Acquisition
- acquired in 2007 by Prince Hans-Adam II von und zu Liechtenstein
- Artists/makers/authors
- Hans von Aachen
- Inventory number
- GE 2418
- Provenance
- probably created around 1602 for Emperor Rudolf II; mentioned in the inventory of Emperor Rudolf II's estate in Prague on 6 Dec. 1621 under no. 1178; 14 Jan.Mentioned in 1637 as "Ein Ovidisch Frawen Bildtnus mit einer Weißen Hirschin" in Adalbert Arnoldt's inventory in the imperial foundry at Prague Castle; brought from Prague to Stockholm by Swedish troops in 1648 (Königsmarck inventory, no. 447); Queen Christina of Sweden until her abdication in 1654; presumably King Karl X. of Sweden (1622-1660); after 1660 Christoffer Gyllenstierna (1639-1705) Ericsberg Castle, Sweden; owned by the Gyllenstjerna family at Ericsberg Castle, from 1733 Florentina Hildebrand, Ericsberg; before 1791 David Henrik Hildebrand (1712-1791), Ericsberg; before 1808 David Gotthard Henrik Hildebrand (1761-1808); before 1854 Carl Bonde (1786-1854), Ericsberg; since 1854 descendants of Carl Bonde, Ericsberg; acquired before 16.5.2007 by Prince Hans-Adam II von und zu Liechtenstein at Sotheby's, London, lot 29
- Iconography
- Hunting of Diana
O. Granberg, Inventaire général des trésors d'art en Suede, Bd. Bd. III, Stockholm 1911, S. 9, Abb. 6, Kat. 25
R.A. Peltzer, Der Hofmaler Hans von Aachen, seine Schule und seine Zeit, in: Jahrbuch der kunsthistorischen Sammlungen des Allerhöchsten Kaiserhauses, 30 1912, S. 166, Kat. 62
R.A. Peltzer, Hans von Aachen. Eine Nachlese, in: Wallraf-Richartz-Jahrbuch 5 1928, S. 80
O. Granberg, Svenska konstamlingarnas historia fran Gustav Vasas tid till vara dager, Bd. Bd. I, Stockholm 1929, S. 173, Kat. 1178
J. Morávek, Ausst.-Kat. Sbirky Rudolfa II. Pokus o jich identifikaci, IXX. vystava Musea Hlav. Mesta rahy, spolu s Archivem prazkého hradu, Prag 1937, Kat. 41
P. Grate, Ausst.-Kat. Christina, Queen of Sweden, Stockholm 1966, Kat. 1268
R. van der Heiden, Die Porträtmalerei des Hans von Aachen, in: Jahrbuch der kunsthistorischen Sammlungen in Wien 1970, S. 170, Anm. 72
R. van der Heiden, Hans von Aachen, in: Allgemeines Künstlerlexikon. Die Bildenden Künstler aller Zeiten und Völker, Bd. Bd. I, Leipzig 1983, S. 3-4
Thomas DaCosta Kaufmann, L'école de Prague. La peinture à la Cour de Rodolphe II, Paris 1985, S. 194-195, Kat. 1-39
Eliška Fučíková (Hg.), Prag um 1600. Beiträge zur Kunst und Kultur am Hofe Rudolfs II., Sammelband, Freren 1988, S. 215-216, Kat. 97
Thomas DaCosta Kaufmann, The School of Prague. Painting at the Court of Rudolf II, Chicago–London 1988, Kat. 1-41
Sybille Ebert-Schifferer, Ausst.-Kat. Von Cranach bis Caspar David Friedrich: deutsche Malerei aus der Eremitage, München 1991, S. 102
E. Fucikova, New Rudolfine paintings in Prague collections, in: Bulletin of the National Gallery in Prague, 5-6 1995, S. 36 u. 44, Anm. 6
Joachim Jacoby, Hans von Aachen, München–Berlin 2000, S. 153-155, Abb. 64, Kat. 48
Ausst.-Kat. Einzug der Künste in Böhmen. Malerei und Skulptur am Hof Kaiser Rudolfs II. in Prag, Johann Kräftner (Hg.), Liechtenstein Museum, Wien 20.11.2009–12.1.2010, erschienen Wien 2009, S. 66, Abb. S. 67, Kat. 13
Ausst.-Kat. Der Fürst als Sammler. Neuerwerbungen unter Hans-Adam II. von und zu Liechtenstein, Johann Kräftner (Hg.), Liechtenstein Museum, Wien 12.2.2010–24.8.2010, erschienen Wien 2010, Abb. S. 217
Ausst.-Kat. Masterworks from the Collections of the Prince of Liechtenstein, Johann Kräftner (Hg.), The National Art Center, Tokyo 3.10.2012–23.12.2012; The Museum of Art, Kochi 5.1.2013–7.3.2013; Municipal Museum of Art, Kyoto 19.3.2013–9.6.2013, erschienen Tokyo 2012
Johann Kräftner, Die Schätze der Liechtenstein. Paläste, Gemälde, Skulpturen, Wien 2013, Abb. S. 309
Johann Kräftner, The Treasures of the Liechtensteins. Palaces, Paintings, Sculptures, Vienna 2013
Štěpán Vácha, The School of Prague or Old German Masters: Rudolfine Painting in the Literary and Visual Discourse of the 17th and 18th Centuries, Sonderdruck aus: Zeitschrift für Kunstgeschichte, 77, Heft 4, 2014, S. 361–384, 362, 1
Ausst.-Kat. Menschenbilder – Götterwelten. The Worlds of Gods and Men, Johann Kräftner (Hg.), Dom Quartier Salzburg (Residenzgalerie Salzburg und Nordoratorium), Salzburg 30.7.–16.10.2016, erschienen Wien 2016, S. 122–123, Kat.-Nr. 23
Ausst.-Kat. Menschenbilder – Götterwelten. The Worlds of Gods and Men, Johann Kräftner (Hg.), Dom Quartier Salzburg (Residenzgalerie Salzburg und Nordoratorium), Salzburg 30.7.–16.10.2016, erschienen Wien 2016, S. 122–123, Kat.-Nr. 23
Ausst.-Kat. Von Rubens bis Makart. Die Fürstlichen Sammlungen Liechtenstein, Klaus Albrecht Schröder (Hg.), Albertina, Wien 16.2.2019–10.6.2019, erschienen Köln 2019, S. 122–124, Kat.-Nr. 25
Ausst.-Kat. From Rubens to Makart. LIECHTENSTEIN. The Princely Collections, Klaus Albrecht Schröder (Hg.), Albertina, Wien 16.2.2019–10.6.2019, erschienen Köln 2019, S. 122–124, Kat.-Nr. 25
Johann Kräftner, Liechtenstein. Das Land, die Familie, ihre Sammlungen und Schlösser. Aspekte der Geschichte einer europäischen Herrscherfamilie, in: Ausst.-Kat.Von Rubens bis Makart. Die Fürstlichen Sammlungen Liechtenstein, Klaus Albrecht Schröder (Hg.), Albertina, Wien 16.2.2019–10.6.2019, erschienen Köln 2019, S. 12–45, S. 31
Johann Kräftner, Liechtenstein. The State, the Family, their Collection and Palaces. Aspects of the History of a European Dynasty, in: Ausst.-Kat.From Rubens to Makart. LIECHTENSTEIN. The Princely Collections, Klaus Albrecht Schröder (Hg.), Albertina, Wien 16.2.2019–10.6.2019, erschienen Köln 2019, S. 13–45, S. 31
