(Antwerp 1601–1678) and (Siegen 1577–1640 Antwerp)
Apollo comforting Cyparissus,
oil on panel, 66.5 x 93.5 cm, framed

Provenance:
von Kleist family, Germany, for over 100 years

The present painting is accompanied by a certificate issued by Klaus Ertz (2006).

Klaus Ertz writes: ‘The painting in question is of such outstanding quality that Jan Brueghel the Elder and Peter Paul Rubens themselves could be considered as painters executing the landscape and the figures respectively. At least, the participation of these two artists cannot be excluded entirely. As Jan Brueghel the Elder already died in 1625, it is possible that he began working on this painting, which was then completed by his son.’ Ertz on the state of the painting: ‘The painting can be described as being in excellent condition. The paints have been applied thickly in the impasto technique and give a brilliant impression. The overlapping, translucent glazes have largely survived in perfect condition. Without the aid of technical tools, I was unable to discover any overpainting or retouches.’

The subject from Ovid’s Metamorphoses (Book 10, Verses 106–142) is extremely rare in Brueghel’s oeuvre and should be described in more detail for better understanding. Ertz: ‘The scene depicted here, which was likely executed in Rubens’s studio, can be read as follows: Apollo, recognisable by his attribute of the laurel on his head, was the son of Zeus and Leto and twin brother of Artemis. He was the god of youth, music, prophecy, archery, and healing. Here he has left his sun chariot drawn by four horses, with which he performs his tasks as Helios (god of the sun) during the day, in order to comfort the mourning Cyparissus. Apollo’s putting his hand on the latter’s shoulder can clearly be read as a gesture of consolation, while Cyparissus’s raised fists can just as clearly be interpreted as a gesture of misery. Cyparissus turns a pleading face towards Apollo, the tears in his eyes attesting to his great despair, which, as far as can be seen from the depiction, can only have been caused by the death of the stag lying on the ground. This stag, which was killed by one of Cyparissus’s arrows, can be identified as a symbol of love by the three small floral wreaths and the golden heart on a chain dangling from the animal’s golden antlers. The arrow hit the stag, Cyparissus’s best friend, by accident, and now he is heartbroken because of his mistake. As he does not want his grief to end, he asks the gods for “eternal mourning”. Complying with his wish, they turn him into a cypress, hence his name…’

Ertz continues: ‘The composition to be assessed here is entirely without precedent to date, which makes this panel particularly interesting. However, there are close resemblances to the Diana paintings by Jan Brueghel the Elder and Peter Paul Rubens, one of which I would like to mention in order to underscore the superb quality of our picture: Diana’s Return from the Hunt (Munich, Alte Pinakothek, proposed date: circa 1620/21).’

To corroborate his attribution, Ertz cites the following autograph works by Jan Brueghel II, all of which are closely related to the present painting in terms of composition, colouring, painterly approach, and date of execution:

1) Sketch of a roebuck (Collection M. Waddingham, London, circa 1620, see K. Ertz, Jan Brueghel d. J., Freren 1984, p. 501, no. 331);
2) Forest Road (German private collection, shortly after 1625, see K. Ertz, op. cit., p. 184, no. 2);
3) The Banquet of Achelous (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, late 1620s, collaborators: Peter Paul Rubens and studio, see K. Ertz, op. cit., p. 411, no. 252);
4) Noli me tangere (English private collection, 1630s, collaborators: circle of Peter Paul Rubens, see K. Ertz, op. cit., p. 322, no. 154);
5) Dead animals in a wooded landscape (Belgian private collection, 1630s, collaborator: Lucas van Uden, see K. Ertz, op. cit., p. 493, no. 323)

Ertz concludes his certificate with the following résumé: ‘an autograph work by Jan Brueghel the Younger with the participation of Peter Paul Rubens’s studio, executed shortly after 1625 in Antwerp.’