ANTIOCHUS AND STRATONICE

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ANTIOCHUS AND STRATONICE

A Mystery Unfolded

1 August 2016

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Abstract

The painting of Antiochus and Stratonice resembles the figural types and painting style of Peter Paul Rubens. This thesis examines various aspects of this work by analyzing the current state of research on Rubens and the iconography of Antiochus and Stratonice. It looks at the authentic painting style of Rubens in comparison to the style used in this composition, in addition to, how Rubens’s studio practice and learning about his students and the assistants active within his workshop supported this research. Furthermore, by researching the provenance of the present composition this painting’s whereabouts from 1640 to the present could be uncovered. The last chapter discusses future technical research to consider for this work. The purpose of this research is to determine whether Peter Paul Rubens painted this work, and if not, but within his studio, who potentially did and why he gave this particular work to one of this students or assistants.

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Introduction

The mystery started when Christie’s in Amsterdam received this Antiochus and Stratonice painting for one of its auctions. Who was the artist? Is it an original? Is this the painting Sir Joshua Reynolds wrote about in his letters? Could this work of art be by the hand of Rubens?

Since the question remained whether this painting was a newly found work by Rubens it was important for Christie’s to research its story to determine the artist and its value. Many art specialists came to view the painting, but not many showed much interest. Thus, a unique opportunity arose to analyze and research whether this was a newly found work by Rubens.

To unfold this mystery many questions needed to be answered. Does the painting style and methods used match those of an authentic Rubens? If the painting was not painted by Rubens, was it done by someone in his studio? Was it a student or an assistant? Was it a collaboration between Rubens and an assistant, Rubens and a student, or did an assistant or student paint this work alone? If this work was given to a student or assistant, why did Rubens choose to give this specific work to one of his assistants, or students, rather than executing it himself? Other important questions included learning the provenance of this work and discovering its place in history. It is also necessary to consider what can be done in the future to learn more about this painting.

In order to decide whether this composition was completed by the hand of Rubens multiple research methods were employed. One research method was directly observing the painting and analyzing how the canvas was so well preserved and how the paint was applied in order to determine its approximate age and authenticity. A second method compared and contrasted the present work with authentic paintings by Rubens to analyze similarities and differences between the characters, painting styles and colors in each of the paintings. A third method involved literary research to find out what was previously researched about Rubens and to use the significant information to further support this analysis. In addition, literary research helped compare the present composition with already existing works, as well as, supplement other research on Rubens’s painting style and studio practice. Lastly, archival research, such as in

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Antwerp at the Felix Archief, was used to link this work with any existing records of a possible owner throughout history.

The remainder of this paper focuses on various aspects of this specific work of art. The beginning chapters analyze the current state of research on Rubens, in addition to, an overview of Rubens’s art work and components of his painting style, the iconography of Antiochus and Stratonice, how this painting compares to Rubens’s other works and to his studio practice. The latter half of the analysis looks more closely at Rubens’s studio practices, other artists or students who may have been involved with this work, and the provenance of this painting. Lastly, this paper discusses additional technical research that should be conducted on this painting in the future to truly determine who the artist was and the history of this exceptionally preserved work.

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Chapter I: State of Research on Rubens and His History Paintings

! Peter Paul Rubens was not only famous and admired for his artistic talent during his time, but he was also a leading example for artists, and an important figure within art history since the 18th century. He was not only a painter but also a “learned intellectual” and a successful diplomat and “confidant” of several rulers in Europe.¹ The following chapter discusses the current state of research on Rubens and his history paintings, focusing on the most prominent catalogues and biographies written about him that were most valuable to my research. Despite the many valuable literary works about Rubens that could have contributed to this research, the following works were carefully chosen to support this particular thesis.

Since the 1960s, major efforts have been made to publish a comprehensive catalogue of Rubens’s complete works. The Corpus Rubenianum Ludwig Burchard can be classified as the largest written corpus about Rubens and his oeuvre. This art historical collaboration consists of all that is conserved in the Rubenianum in Antwerp, combined with the 25 compiled volumes by European and American art historians covering about half of Rubens’s works. It is structured thematically and includes not only paintings, but also drawings, tapestries, sculptures, and engravings in which Rubens created the designs. According to Balis, in recent years the research has been slowed due to financial constraints.² Thus, the Rubenianum Fund was created to ensure there are resources available to further ongoing research. With the support of the King Baudouin Foundation and other private foundations, the Rubenianum is looking to complete this project

“within the next decades.”

The Corpus is divided into different topics and themes. In Volume XIII, which consists of two parts, Elizabeth McGrath discusses Rubens's Subjects from History, which is relevant since Antiochus and Stratonice falls under the category of history paintings. In this part of the Corpus, the subjects are considered illustrations of events with specific dates and locations, which are

1 Balis, Arnout and Leysen, Thomas. Foreword in Pietro Paulo Rubens: Completing The Corpus Rubenianum, p. 9.

2 Id., p. 10.

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recorded by “some historical authority.”³ The book is devoted to individual compositions rather than focusing on how Rubens came up with these themes. During Rubens’s time it was the deeds of the Greeks and Romans that gave artists the best examples from history rather than “post- classical” history. McGrath first discusses the themes and traditions where Rubens gathered his ideas for his history paintings. She then discusses Rubens’s access to books, unlike many other artists during his time. Since Rubens wrote letters we know that he was very well educated in history, and also in politics.

The second Volume is comprised of the catalogue raisonné and indexes referring to collections, subjects, other works by or after Rubens mentioned in the text, and names and plates.

The Corpus focuses on known works by Rubens, which were previously analyzed, and are known to the public. Since the Rubenianum’s goal is to continue and finish its Corpus on Rubens, it will be interesting to see whether they add to the catalogue. Many newly found paintings by Rubens have surfaced in recent years; Since this project started in the 1960s, some of these volumes might already be outdated. For example, even if Antiochus and Stratonice was not painted by Rubens himself but within his studio, it would be a great addition to the Corpus. It gives minor attention to works by Rubens that were copied and completed in his studio by apprentices. Some paintings, which would fall under the category of history paintings, are discussed in other volumes of the Corpus because there is too much to fit into the two volumes of Subjects from History.

Another viewpoint on Rubens comes from Julius S. Held who discusses Rubens’s oil sketches. His publication, The Oil Sketches of Peter Paul Rubens: A Critical Catalogue, is comprised of two volumes. Volume I discusses the oil sketches, its functions, The Cycles executed by Rubens and additional works divided into categories. Volume II catalogues Rubens’s oeuvre of oil sketches. Held’s goal was to categorize the catalogue systematically where individual projects are listed together and also illustrated “in close proximity.”⁴ For example, one of the chapters in the catalogue is focused on the subject of history. The remaining sketches are subdivided into iconographic groups in accordance with its practice and time frame.

3 McGrath, Elizabeth. Rubens: Subjects from History, Vol. I, p. 7.

4 Held, Julius S. The Oil Sketches of Peter Paul Rubens: A Critical Catalogue, p. 15.

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In Volume I, Held discusses what functions the oil sketches had for Rubens. The oil sketches were quite important to Rubens since he used these as preliminary outlines for his larger paintings, especially history paintings. This allows art historians to “read the artist’s thoughts as they crystallized in the very process of painting” as he made his changes from oil sketch to painting.⁵ In addition, Held discusses the historical context of these oil sketches since Rubens was not the first to paint oil sketches because earlier attempts of these sketches were made by Italian artists.⁶

By giving a detailed explanation on each work, the reader is able to get an understanding of how these sketches were executed and how they might differ from the larger paintings, if there was ever a painting made after the discussed sketches. Held is able to establish the oeuvre of Rubens in an important category of his work because oil sketches are usually not given much attention. Held does not mention the oil sketches that were once attributed to Rubens but are no longer listed as works by Rubens by the institutions where they were preserved. Thus, he only draws attention to works that he thinks are by the hand of Rubens and which are in worthy public collections. This potentially leaves out a number of oil sketches of importance.

Since the author does not mention any works that are in private collections, an example of a known oil sketch can only be given. An example of an oil sketch by Rubens is the Death of Adonis (fig. 1). The figures are painted with quite a lot of detail, although some figures are painted less precisely and just outlined for their mere placement within the composition in preparation for the final work. In this example, some colors are included, such as blue for the sky, red for the drapery behind Venus and grey tones for the ground. Black tones are used for the areas where the bushes and trees are situated. Despite these oil sketches being models for the actual paintings, they are almost as beautifully executed as the final work. Thus, it is unfortunate that the works not fully attributed to Rubens or not in public collections are not included because they could still be of importance to the oeuvre of Rubens.

5 Id., p. 4.

6 Id., p. 7.

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Fig. 1. Peter Paul Rubens, The Death of Adonis.

New studies about Rubens have developed throughout recent years within museum exhibitions in Europe and America. Specific works by Rubens have been selected worthy enough to be discussed in detail for exhibition catalogues. Rubens’s history paintings in particular have received a large amount of attention due to his fascinating talent in creating these works of art.

For example, a publication was dedicated to Rubens and his workshop in relationship to the different versions of The Flight of Lot and his Family from Sodom edited by Toshiharu Nakamura. This publication discusses the three different versions of this particular subject completed by Rubens and his studio. An analysis of ground, pigment, and painting technique was done with all three versions, as well as, a discussion about Rubens’s studio practice. In addition, this exhibition catalogue leaves room for discussion about the possibility of “collaborator[s]”

within Rubens’s studio and mentions studio works, especially concerning history paintings.⁷ This adds more weight to the discussion of history paintings within the research of Rubens.

Most of these publications discuss similar topics with minor differences focusing on specific works. Nils Büttner and Ulrich Heinen’s book, Peter Paul Rubens: Barocke Leidenschaften, is compiled of chapters written by different authors on different aspects of Rubens’s career. For example, one chapter by Fiona Healy focuses on the representation of love as it was portrayed by Rubens. She discusses works such as Samson and Delilah and The Death of Adonis where she notices how Rubens painted the female bodies to narrate the story and

7 Nakamura, Toshiharu. Rubens and his Workshop: The Flight of Lot and his Family from Sodom, p. 100.

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portray their feelings.⁸ The influence by Italian masters, such as Titian and Tintoretto, is also mentioned, which is noticeable in the treatment of his many history paintings. The discussion of love in this book is very interesting for the research of Antiochus and Stratonice because it helps to further understand why Rubens chose such a subject from history to paint himself or to give to a student or assistant.

The sources in this thesis are all considered works about the history paintings and iconography of Rubens and contribute to the current state of research. The research about Antiochus and Stratonice in the following chapters has not been discussed by any museum nor the Rubenianum because the present composition is newly found and no research has been done on the subject or its iconography. Elizabeth McGrath mentions Antiochus and Stratonice in Volume II of Subjects from History as a work whose whereabouts are unknown and which is known from the account given by Sir Joshua Reynolds.⁹ The illustration of the sketch is shown in Volume I under ‘Plates.’¹⁰ Since the present composition is newly found, very little research has been done on its subject and iconography. Yet, this original research regarding this painting, adds to the image of Rubens’s studio practice and possibly introduces us to a new work within his oeuvre. This shows that there are still many works that can be discussed within the oeuvre of Rubens and that the possibility exists that other authentic works by Rubens have yet to be found.

8 Büttner, Nils and Heinen Ulrich. Peter Paul Rubens: Barocke Leidenschaften, p. 40-41.

9 McGrath, Elizabeth. Rubens: Subjects from History, Vol. II, pp. 95-97.

10 McGrath, Elizabeth. Rubens: Subjects from History, Vol. I, fig. 66.

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Chapter II: Identification and Analysis

The present composition shows the subject of Antiochus and Stratonice. The height of the canvas measures 139.8 cm and the width measures 168 cm. It is painted with oil on canvas and is supported by a wooden tenter (fig. 2).

Fig. 2. Peter Paul Rubens (?), Antiochus and Stratonice

Canvas

The composition presents a scene from ancient literature, the love story of Antiochus and Stratonice, painted with oil on canvas, which can be determined by the flexibility of the medium.

The linen is bendable and adjusts well to any movements that may occur when lifting or transporting the painting. When touching the canvas, it moves with the force put upon it. Even though the linen is quite tough due to relining, it still shows the natural and flowing manner of a linen cloth.

The canvas has warped threads where no seam can be detected with the naked eye. It is coarse on the reverse and very tough, though still flexible, as can be seen by the rigid lines of the

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canvas. When touching the reverse of the canvas the rigid lines of the weave can be felt and the horizontal and vertical lines of the weave can be seen. In addition, the reverse of the canvas shows uneven color tones of the linen, which points out to possible glue or liquids that might have been applied or spilled at some point.

The smooth application of the priming layer in the front conceals the canvas weave. The ground color is concealed by the overlying paint layers except where these shine through on various parts of the composition, as can be seen around the heads of the figures, for example.

There are multiple paint layers covering the canvas as can be seen on the edges of the medium, as well as, strips of canvas or tape on the top and left edges of the canvas (fig. 3a, 3b, and 3c).

Fig. 3a. Detail of Antiochus and Stratonice Fig. 3b. Detail of Antiochus and Stratonice

Fig. 3c. Detail of Antiochus and Stratonice

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Marks of Restoration and Damage

Overall, the painting appears to be in very good condition with no signs of restoration visible with the naked eye. There is nothing written on the reverse of the painting, but what is important to note is that there is a small patch of cloth on the mid-bottom section of the painting that has been glued to the canvas (fig. 4a and 4b). This patch probably covers up a hole or some sort of damage that the canvas incurred. Though there is no hole or damage visible in the front, which points out that the canvas is superficial. The canvas also appears to be relined due to its tough and tight structure. Additionally, there appears to be tape on the edges of the canvas, visible on both the front and reverse on the stretcher.

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Fig. 4a. Reverse of Antiochus and Stratonice Fig. 4b. Reverse of Antiochus and Stratonice

The Paint

When looking closely at the canvas, the different paint layers and brushstrokes become apparent. For example, Stratonice’s skin is painted with very fine brushstrokes where multiple layers were applied to give it a smooth and beautiful effect to show her fair and lovely appearance. It appears as if a darker, grey layer was first applied and then a white layer on top.

To give the skin its life-like appearance the flesh tones were given a pale peach color with yellow and white iron oxide pigments that were mixed before the application and then put on certain areas of the skin, such as on the neck, forehead, and lower arms. In addition, red paint was added on the cheeks, back of the neck, and fingers to add to the liveliness of the figure, as well as, give

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Stratonice her feminine look. The artist also added a reddish-peach layer on her lips after the base skin colors had already been applied.

Stratonice’s hair was painted in a dabbing manner. A dark layer of brown and grey was first applied to which yellow paint was added in a dotting manner to imitate curls and the intertwining of the hair on the sides. Lastly, white paint was also added to point out the beauty of Stratonice’s blonde and shiny hair. The same phenomenon is illustrated with her crown where a darker layer of brown was first applied, with thin yellow and white brushstrokes, heightened and dotted with white and grey paint for the ornaments. This was how the artist decided to give it its texture and volume. The thin veil that covers her head and back is held by her crown, which is ornamented with pearls, in addition to the pearl earring. The veil was painted with very thin and light strokes to show its transparency and delicacy.

It appears that the paint was applied with very lose brush strokes, as can be seen on Stratonice’s dress. For the upper part of the dress a brown ground layer was first applied. Some red and pink pigments were then painted on top to add more variety of color. Lastly, a cream yellow color that seems to have been previously mixed with lead white paint was loosely applied with quick strokes to give the sleeves of the dress its volume and “puffiness.” The cream-yellow paint also helps the top appear orange and umber-like in color with a small addition of red ochre.

The artist used his brush to quickly apply the paint from all angles and sides improvising while doing so. The same goes for the bottom part of Stratonice’s dress, the skirt, where the dark grey and black layer was applied before the lighter shades of purple, pink and blue, which also appear to have been premixed with white. The broche and other ornaments on her dress were very finely painted. For example, the green stone and the golden casing on the broche on her chest has been highlighted with thin white layers and strokes to give it a three-dimensionality.

Unlike Stratonice’s hair, which was painted with loose and dotty strokes, the hair of Antiochus was painted in a much finer manner. Fine lamp black paint was first applied to give it its ground color to which a lighter brown was layered on top. This was applied smoothly with a swirling brush handling to give the hair its bigger and more voluminous curls rather than the small crinkly curls that are seen on Stratonice. The bandage on Antiochus’s head was painted with very thick white paint on top of the hair with thicker and loose brushstrokes.

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In contrast to Stratonice’s skin, Antiochus’s skin tone is much darker. It appears as if there was a grey ground layer applied for Antiochus’s skin. On top of that dark layer, a yellow cream colored layer was applied to imitate the skin color. Loose white brushstrokes are applied at various areas to give the body its shape. Overall the body of Antiochus was painted with much finer strokes. Light pink paint was applied on the elbow, the fingers, and some areas on the chest, in addition to some areas that have been painted over with a medley of grey, green, yellow and blue to define some muscles on the arms and chest of the prince. This also shows the shadows created by the light source above. Antiochus’s face is much paler in color to imitate his sickness but the paint was applied in the same manner as the body. Red paint was painted on top of the white paint on the lips, eyes, and ears.

The sling that wraps around Antiochus’s arm appears to be painted over the arm with fine white, grey and blue brushstrokes to show the texture of the cloth. The cloth around Antiochus’s arm shares the same colors and strokes as the pillow and the white bed sheet that Antiochus is laying on. It appears as if an under-layer of blue was first applied and then white and grey paint on top in a swinging manner to give it its fluffy and bed-like texture. The blanket that covers Antiochus’s body is a bright red earth color with brown ornamentation where the ground layer was left visible through openings in the upper paint layers.

The other woman, probably one of Stratonice’s attendees, who is standing on the opposite side of the bed was painted similarly to Stratonice. She was also painted very finely but not as colorful as Stratonice. Stratonice wears a bright dress whereas this woman’s costume used pale and pastel colors. This was likely to not take attention away from the queen. The attendees’ skin tone is very pale and shares a variety of white, yellow and pink tones. It seems as if a lot more pink was applied to her face in comparison to Stratonice. The pink colors are spread across her face far more than on Stratonice’s face, where only a small area of the cheek is covered with pink. In addition, the shades around the woman’s eyes appear rosier. In this case, the pink paint was lightly touched on top of the white color.

The hair of the female attendee was also painted in the same manner as Stratonice’s hair, which was a quick and dotty manner to achieve the extremely curly-haired look. The colors of her dress that can be seen were not painted in bright colors, but rather in pale pastels. The veil on

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top of her head is much thicker in texture than Stratonice’s veil, which is a thin and silky fabric using a small number of pigments. Darker shades of blue were applied first before the lighter shades of blue and white were painted very thinly to achieve a delicate look. The cloth that lays over the attendee’s shoulder was very thinly painted in yellow, grey, and white tones. Rather than looking thick in texture like the veil, this piece of cloth was applied with very thin and washed brushstrokes. Unlike Stratonice, she is not wearing any jewelry nor is her clothing ornamented with pearls and jewels.

In contrast to Antiochus and Stratonice, the physician, who is feeling Antiochus’s pulse, is represented in a very coarse painting style and darker colors. The beard of the physician was painted with very quick strokes to mimic the frizzy texture of the long beard. In order to reach that effect, the dark colors of charcoal and bone black were applied first and as the artist continued to work on the beard, he applied the lighter grey and white colors on top to give it the most natural effect possible. In this case, it appears that the paint was layered on top of each other rather than previously mixed and then applied. This also applies to his face because lighter- colored layers were applied on top of darker ones to give the man his old look, such as with the wrinkles on his forehead. The artist carefully applied lighter colors to show the light source reflecting off of part of the physician’s face and darker colors to show the shadows that are hiding other parts of the face. This style allows the viewer to believe that the physician is old and concerned looking.

The physician’s clothing is mainly in bone black with a touch of cool grey and brownish tones on the edges representing the beautiful details, such as the fur lining. It appears that the black paint was applied first and afterwards with dark grey-colored lines for the shape, volume and texture. It gives the viewer the sense of a velvet-like coat. The edges are lined with fur, which was applied with short and abrupt brushstrokes to give the viewer the want to touch the soft, fluffy pelt. Different hues of brown and yellow were applied on top of each other to resemble the soft yet bushy texture of fur. Overall, the black part of his costume was painted very finely and smoothly, but the grey lines and brown colors for the fur were executed with rough and quick brushstrokes.

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The two elderly men standing behind the physician appear much blurrier than the physician. The paint on the clothing of the man with the dark brown hair looks very thinly applied. Smooth and darker shades of red were painted on top of the lighter red colors rather than the other way around. There was not much detail put into his costume and it appears quite flat without any volume. The hair and beard in comparison to the other figures was painted also very smoothly and with soft and flowing brushstrokes to achieve a full yet straight-haired look. The face of this man, on the other hand, has been painted with much care to portray a concerned or thoughtful look to the viewer. Various shades of brown, red, yellow and pink were applied to contour the different lines on his face. For example, light pink paint, that was previously mixed, was painted on top of the darker red and brown colors to highlight the cheek bone. Rather than applying the lighter color first, the lighter color was applied after the darker base color, which can also be seen on his forehead.

The second elderly man, whose face is only visible, also has white paint layered on top of the skin-toned colors to imitate a shiny forehead reflecting from a light source. Darker tones of brown and grey were applied to outline the shadows and wrinkles that are formed on his forehead due to his serious and concerned look, but also his old age. What is important to note is that the eyes of the elderly man with the white hair stick out to the viewer, which is due to the way the paint was applied. The eyes have a brown tone, however, the left eye has a lighter tone of brown and a small touch of white to show the shimmer of the eye touched by the light. In contrast to the man with the brown hair, his grey hair was painted much more like the hair of the physician, where it appears very bushy and harsh with quick brushstrokes and colors layered on top of each other from dark to light. It is hard to tell whether the yellow part that covers the bottom part of the mouth is partially hand and cloth, or whether his beard is a bit yellow.

The sky in the background was painted with a dark blue and grey paint in a soft and washed manner where the lighter hues of grey and white were layered on top to add the clouds and make it look realistic. The column is rather flat where no dimensions are suggested. For example, where the column is supposed to curve one cannot see any depth differentiating the sky from the column. Additionally, the inner corner of the column is not painted with a distinctly darker tone, which would give the column dimensions and show its depth. Lines of black, beige

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and grey were applied to give it its form, but due to the appearance of worn paint it does not appear three-dimensional. It is almost as if the colors of the column fuse with the colors of the sky next to it where the column arches. The curtain behind the women and Antiochus share different shades of bright and deep red. The ground color serves as a mid-tone of the background, draperies, and even the flesh of the characters. It appears as if the artist decided to use red paint overall and then add lighter tones and darker tones of red to give the drapery its shape and velvety texture. The different tones were applied with long and swooping strokes and are clear and lively.

Alterations and Changes

Two features that are quite interesting to this composition that are not noticeable at first sight are the physician’s head and the space in front of the column. When looking closely at the physician’s head one can see that there was a second ear above the left ear (fig. 5a). It appears that its position was moved to a lower point, possibly because the direction of the physician’s head was changed. The upper ear, which appears to have been painted first is quite smaller in size than the lower ear. It is less detailed and hard to identify as a proportional ear matching the size of the head of the physician. The artist decided to highlight the lower ear with white paint to hide the upper ear within the head, which he successfully does because the upper ear is not noticeable when looking at the painting for the first time.

The second feature to notice appears in the center of the canvas where a third woman once stood in front of the column, but was erased and painted over with the colors of the column (fig. 5b). The outline and minor traces of facial features are still noticeable when looking closely.

The skin tones of the third female figure shine through the grey and brown tones of the column.

It appears to be a female figure due to a white veil next to the head of the figure shining through the brown paint. In addition, the skin tone revealed on the shoulder also points to a female, as well as, the facial structure and the lack of a beard. What can be seen in the facial structure is a pointy nose, somewhat plump lips, and a worrying look, which are similar to those of Stratonice and the female attendee.

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Fig.5a. Physician of Antiochus and Stratonice Fig. 5b. Deleted Third Figure of Antiochus and Stratonice

Composition

Upon first look the viewer is immediately directed toward Antiochus, who is lying in bed, not only because all the characters are faced toward him but also because the light is shining on him to bring him to the foreground. After Antiochus, the line within the composition is directed toward Stratonice, whom Antiochus is gazing. She is seated to the right of the bed next to the dying Antiochus as she stares into his eyes. Her head is turned toward him leaning on her hand while the other hand lies elegantly on her lap. Attention then turns to the other woman who is standing on the opposite side of Stratonice next to the bed looking down upon the ill-faced Antiochus. She appears to be shaping Antiochus’s pillow looking at the pair that seems to be so dearly in love.

Antiochus looks deeply at Stratonice with a surprised look as his eyebrows are raised and his mouth is slightly open. Stratonice gazes back at Antiochus with a caring stare as her cheeks appear to be blushing. Their looks are interlocked, which appear to be unbreakable. As Antiochus looks at Stratonice, she is looking back at him sensually with raised eyebrows leaning her head into her hand and scarf. It is as if no one could get between their interlocked gazes and as if nothing else exists around them.

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As the viewer is again directed toward Antiochus, the eye follows the arm of Antiochus leading to the physician. The physician stands on the foot of the bed feeling Antiochus’s pulse and also looking at Antiochus. Two elderly men are standing behind the physician, who appear to be contemplating the situation or talking about it as one is facing Antiochus and the other facing his companion (fig. 6).

Fig. 6. Composition of Antiochus and Stratonice

Furthermore, when looking at the figures in comparison to one another it appears that they were painted proportionally to each other. However, the bed appears a bit too small in comparison to the proportions of the figures unless the viewer assumes that the bed is extending past the physician and elderly men. A pattern is created through the light source that comes from above. By reflecting off of the most important characters within the composition the viewer is able to move to each character accordingly.

In addition, the patterns and textures show the importance of the characters’ clothing, such as Stratonice’s dress, the physician’s costume and the drapery behind Antiochus. The directional force is created through the use of the two sections and placing the figures so there is an open space. The third female figure, placed between the physician and the woman standing behind Antiochus’s bed, was also likely erased for the purpose of directing the viewer’s eye accordingly. The path that is created does lead us to look at Antiochus and Stratonice first and then move along the arm to the physician and the other characters.

The artist decided to add a good amount of variety to his painting to show the contrast of characters within the story. This sense of variety in turn brings unity to the painting because

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once all this contrast comes together it acts as a unifying binder to bring the entire composition together. The subordination of certain characters, such as the elderly men and the woman, brings attention to the focal point, which includes Antiochus, Stratonice, and the physician in the light of the composition. It would be quite interesting to see through infrared-scanning and x- radiography whether the figures were previously positioned differently or if there were any other figures or changes made to the composition.

Light

A light source appears to be coming in from the upper left side of the composition shining onto Antiochus, Stratonice, and the female attendee, as well as, touching the heads of the three elderly men. This light, which brightens up the main scene, immediately brings the most important figures of the composition into the foreground. In contrast the left half of the painting is much darker in value giving the painting a proper balance throughout the composition.

Space

Space was approached very interestingly in this composition because the scene is portrayed with a close-up view, which does not allow for much empty space nor a detailed background within the painting. The background consists partially of the red curtain that surrounds Antiochus, Stratonice and the other woman standing next to the bed. The other half is filled with a column, which separates the curtain and the sky from one another, taking up a fourth of the canvas. The composition appears to be divided into two parts having Antiochus, Stratonice, and the female attendee on one side and the doctor and the two elderly men on the other side. The right half of the painting is very much cluttered with the bed and the three figures taking up most of the room, whereas the left side appears more open due to the sky being in the background.

The sky adds depth to the composition by pushing the column that sits in the center of the painting into the foreground, which in turn adds a three-dimensionality to the composition. Even though the two elderly men and the physician are also placed very closely together, the two men

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are yet again separated from the physician by appearing as if they were standing a bit further in the background, creating even more depth. The column creates space in an interesting way because while the sky is pushed into the background, it pushes the curtain into the foreground.

The red curtain in turn pushes Antiochus and Stratonice into the foreground, and thus, into the spotlight.

Colors

Just as the space plays a big role within the composition, the colors chosen for the different objects and characters are also very important. The artist chose brighter colors for Antiochus and Stratonice. Overall, it can be said that the entire right side of the composition, where the protagonists of the painting are placed, was painted with brighter colors to immediately point out the importance of those characters to the viewer. Not only is the curtain scarlet red with hues of cherry red, but the flesh tones of the three characters on the right are very bright in ochre, white, yellow, and pink. Stratonice’s costume is colored in light shades of orange, yellow, and red, while the skirt has a lighter purplish color. The bed sheets are in different tones of blue, grey, and white to imitate bright, white sheets, but the blanket covering Antiochus is also painted in an orange-red tone. This choice of light colors supports the fact that Antiochus and Stratonice are the protagonists, but also immediately directs the attention of the viewer toward the two lovers.

In contrast, the sky and column that are placed behind the three elderly men share very monotone colors that display dark grays, blues, and ochre tones. The physician is wearing a black costume with fur edges, and what can be seen of the two other men shows dark tones as well. Even the skin color of the three men differs from the skin tones of the three characters on the right side of the composition. Rather than painting the skin with white, yellow, and pink tones, the men’s flesh tones are shades of brown and red with little hues of white and yellow to add shape. The physician, who is also one of the protagonists, is slightly different from two other elderly men since he is painted in full length and wearing the extreme black costume. He is painted in a very coarse manner. Part of his leg is also visible, showing that his attention is focused on Antiochus. This shows that he is very important to the composition after Antiochus

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and Stratonice. The two elderly men standing behind the physician appear to be contemplating the situation. Their identity is unknown, but it may be presumed that they are bystanders watching the ongoing action.

Although the surface of the painting is quite smooth, there is an illusion of texture in the composition through specific applications of colors. For example, when looking at Stratonice, especially her dress, the viewer gets a sense of the kind of materials or cloth she might be wearing. Her dress was painted very delicately, yet with rough brushstrokes of vibrant and lighter tones to imitate a silky and shiny look that adds volume to the clothing and points out the beauty of the dress. The bright colors of her dress show her importance to the story and allows the viewer to immediately move their eyes to her. The thin veil that is covering her head and back is held by her crown, which is ornamented with pearls. The pearls are painted with white tones to imitate their shininess. The veil is painted with very thin and light strokes with white and grey colors to show its transparency and delicacy.

Rubens was known to paint his clothing and draperies very brightly with a swooping manner. Especially in his later career, it becomes apparent that the execution of his dresses were painted with light colors on top of darker colors to achieve a voluminous look and give the viewer the sense of texture. The execution of Stratonice’s dress appears to be very Rubenesque, which is known to be a very colorful, bright and voluminous style that focuses on every single brushstroke to portray textures. Rubens also dedicated his studies to the costumes of royalty and Roman history to give the clothing in his paintings an authentic look by reproducing exact details.¹¹

The curtain behind Stratonice gives the feeling of a thick, heavy and velvet-like texture.

This was created by having thick and harsh brushstrokes using different shades of red swirling across the curtain. The costume of the physician was painted very smoothly in black, but with the addition of rough grey strokes to give the coat its velvet-like texture and show how thick and heavy it is. The fur that lines the edges of the physician’s costume was painted with very quick and short strokes to imitate a fur texture even though it is in a two-dimensional space.

11 Neumeister, Miriam. Rubens und seine gemalten Kopien in Rubens im Wettstreit mit Alten Meistern, p. 13.

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The artist achieves a sense of balance within the composition by dividing the painting into two sections through colors: one half is occupied by Antiochus, Stratonice, and the female attendee (bright colors), while the other half by the physician and the two elderly men (dark colors). This balance is achieved through the symmetrical arrangement of figures within the composition and the deletion of the third female figure. This figure appears to not have been of major importance to the composition.

Contrast on the other hand was created by the distinct decision of the artist to separate the two sections, not only by the use of light and colors, but also by placing the figures in different positions within the painting. The contrast is shown even more through the subject matter by having Antiochus and Stratonice on one side and the physician on the other.

Conclusion

The artist who painted this work decided systematically through the use of light, space, and color how to guide the viewer throughout the composition. By choosing to bring the protagonists of the painting into the foreground with bright and colorful pigments, he was able to immediately establish a narrative. It is interesting to see the changes that were made throughout the painting process and how brushstrokes were chosen to depict the figures and their clothing.

Through the analysis of iconography, it might become even more apparent why certain choices were made concerning the depiction of each figure and the scenery.

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Chapter III: Iconography

From ancient times the story of Antiochus and Stratonice could be considered one of the

“outstanding moral tales” of world literature. One of the most famous philosophers from the Antique who wrote about this story was Valerius Maximus in Facta et Dicta Memoribilia. Many other philosophers also fancied this story, but his remains most known and influential.

According to another art historian, Wolfgang Stechow, it was based on a true story from antiquity to which Petrarch referred.¹² In this analysis, King Seleucus was the founder of Antioch and was one of Alexander’s most successful generals in the 4th century BC. He married Stratonice, the daughter of one of his enemies. A fact often mentioned in the love story is that Stratonice divided the reign between Seleucus and Antiochus. Antiochus and Stratonice ended up marrying and having four children together after Seleucus decided to give the queen to Antiochus.¹³

From the accounts of Valerius Maximus, to which the oldest documentation of this story was attributed to, the story goes as follows.¹⁴ Prince Antiochus was at the end of his life due to fighting the strong love he had for his stepmother, Stratonice. His father, who was King Seleucus of Syria and married to Stratonice, does not know why Antiochus was so ill and thus gives up all hope. The problem was solved by the mathematician Leptines, or as some say the physician Erasistratus, who noticed while sitting next to the bed of Antiochus that whenever Stratonice entered the room Antiochus’s mood changed positively. Once Erasistratus checked Antiochus’s pulse he observed the same phenomenon. Thus, he informed the King of this information who in turn decides to give his wife, Stratonice, to his son in order for Antiochus to heal.

In other versions from the Antique, the revealing of Erasistratus’s information to King Seleucus was told differently. In those versions, Erasistratus tells Seleucus that Antiochus was in love with his (the physician’s) wife. Once the King forced Erasistratus to give his wife

12 Stechow, Wolfgang. “The Love of Antiochus with Faire Stratonica” in Art, p. 221.

13 Kuntze, F. Die Geschichte von dem kranken Königssohne, p. 215.

14 Valerius Maxiumus. Facta et Dicta Demoribilia, Book V, p. 528-531.

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Antiochus, the physician revealed the truth to the King about Antiochus actually being in love with the King’s wife, which forces the King to give his own wife to his son.¹⁵

According to Plutarch, after having tried hopelessly to show Stratonice his love for her, Antiochus decided to simulate an illness by refusing to eat and thus ending his life. King Seleucus made his announcement to give Antiochus his wife publicly expecting both Antiochus and Stratonice to comply.¹⁶

It appears that in all versions of this story, the main motif revealing the lovesickness was feeling Antiochus’s pulse because it was the only way to see how his illness improved. This motif even appears in other stories, such as in the Greek novel Heliodorus Aethiopica, many oriental tales, and even in 1001 Nights. It also appears that this detail was chosen because it is the only way the cession can be portrayed to the viewer.

Many artists have painted the story of Antiochus and Stratonice and the motif of the pulse was favored in almost all of the paintings, including the present composition. In the 17th century, the subject of Antiochus and Stratonice was quite popular in the world of painting and drawing.

One of the first paintings from the 17th century was Andrea Celesti’s painting (1637-1702/1722), which presents some of the main motifs, such as the sickness of the prince, the discovery of the cause by the physician as Stratonice enters the room, and the cession of Stratonice by the King (fig. 7).

Fig. 7. Andrea Celesti, Stratonice

15 Stechow, Wolfgang, “The Love of Antiochus with Faire Stratonica” in Art p. 222.

16 Ibid.

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Stechow argues that this representation was unrealistic because “the King could have not been informed by the physician at the moment of his discovery and [thus acted upon it] all at the same time.”¹⁷ Celesti presents his “story” from a point of view with multiple characters besides the protagonists, such as the girls accompanying Stratonice, and includes “antique” architecture in the background.

Another Italian painter, Sebastiano Ricci (1659-1734), painted his composition of Antiochus and Stratonice with a slightly different approach in that he gives the viewer a close-up of the scene (fig. 8). The physician standing behind the bed is feeling Antiochus’s pulse while Antiochus turns his head away from everyone. Stratonice is placed in the right foreground showing a reaction of surprise while the king is “tucked” between Antiochus and Stratonice. It is interesting to note that Ricci did not include the rendering of the cession, but rather focused on the discovery of the cause and the reaction of the Queen. The King does not appear to be aware of the news yet.

Fig. 8. Sebastiano Ricci, Stratonice

Prior to Ricci, painters in the Netherlands also approached this subject in a similar manner. Two drawings attributed to the circle of Rembrandt, one of which was part of Hofstede de Groot’s collection, portray the subject focusing on a specific motif. Hofstede de Groot’s version shows Antiochus lying in bed as Stratonice is walking toward him (fig. 9). The physician

17 Id., p. 227-228.

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is feeling the prince’s pulse and the king is seated behind a table in the center unaware of what is going on with Antiochus.

Fig. 9. Circle of Rembrandt van Rijn, Stratonice

In the other drawing, Stratonice was not even portrayed in the scene and Antiochus is looking in the direction where from Stratonice must be approaching. The physician was represented much more noticeably and the King is once again seated behind a table not aware of the happenings. These drawings are more focused on the discovery rather than the cession.

Gerard de Lairesse (1641-1711), on the other hand, painted this subject with a different approach.¹⁸ As mentioned earlier, Stechow observed that including every motif in the painting is unrealistic, and interestingly, de Lairesse did not include every motif but rather one in particular.

Four versions with this subject have survived, of which two appear to be copies. One is in Schwerin, signed and dated 1673. The second is in Amsterdam (fig. 10), and the other two which appear to be the copies are in Oldenburg and Karlsruhe (fig. 11). The composition of his painting in Amsterdam represents us with a point of view just like Celesti’s painting and shows Antiochus in bed while the King appears to be leading Stratonice towards the ill Prince. The physician stands behind the King and the Queen. Other figures are placed in the background. The background is styled with “antique” architecture just like Celesti’s. De Lairesse decided to focus

18 Id., p. 229.

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on the cession rather than on the discovery of the cause with the feeling of the pulse by the physician.¹⁹

Fig. 10. Gerard de Lairesse, Stratonice Fig. 11. Gerard de Lairesse, Stratonice

Theodoor van Thulden’s (1606-1669) composition shows the ill Antiochus lying in bed while Stratonice stands beside him on one side and the physician stands on the other feeling Antiochus’s pulse (fig. 12). Seleucus is seated on a chair to the left watching Antiochus closely as other figures are placed in the background. This composition appears to focus on the discovery, although it is not quite clear whether the King already knows of the discovery or not.

Fig. 12. Theodoor van Thulden, Antiochus and Stratonice

19 Id., p. 231.

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Thus, northern “realism” either sacrificed the cession to the discovery, as seen in the Rembrandt drawings, or sacrificed the discovery to the cession, as seen in de Lairesse’s and van Thulden’s paintings.²⁰

This composition, possibly by Rubens, is rather different and resembles Sebastiano Ricci’s composition in the way that it is a close-up of the scene where Antiochus is lying in bed as the physician is feeling his pulse. Stratonice is seated next to his bed accompanied by another woman who stands on the other side of the bed. Two elderly men are standing behind the physician. In this case the discovery is shown rather than the cession and what is extremely interesting and differs from all other representations is that the King, Seleucus, is absent.

Furthermore, there are no “antique” features of architecture besides possibly the column and curtains but they are rather classicized.

Conclusion

Thus, many questions arise due to these differences. First, where is the King? And secondly, since the discovery is shown in this composition, is it apparent to the other figures that Antiochus is in love with Stratonice or are the other characters simply looking at the ill-fallen Antiochus? Does Seleucus already know about the discovery and thus Stratonice, who is sitting next to the prince’s bed, has already been given to Antiochus?

20 Ibid.

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Chapter IV: Rubens’s Painting Technique

To determine where the painting of Antiochus and Stratonice stems from and whether it was painted by Rubens or a different artist, it was important to analyze Rubens’s painting technique. The composition closely corresponds to the painting style of Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) and thus dissecting the colors and brushwork, which Rubens and his studio was so famous for, was required. Even though Rubens’s painting style can be easily detected, his painting manner changed throughout his career.

In the beginning, his works were influenced by his teacher, Otto van Veen (1557-1629).

After Rubens’s travels to Italy, his paintings were characterized by “thick, blended layers of paint.”²¹ In a letter from 1621 to William Trumbull, Rubens states that he is “by natural instinct, better fitted to execute very large works than small curiosities” and that the large size of a painting gives him the ability to express his ideas more clearly and realistically.²²

Rubens, very well educated in color theories of his day, was influenced by various scholars, such as Franciscus Aguilonius. Franciscus Aguilonius wrote a book, Opticorum Libri Sex (Antwerp, 1613), for which Rubens designed the illustrations. The book discusses color theories, such as the compositio notionalis, the color divisionism in tempera paintings, the compositio intentionalis, the application of transparent colors in layers, and the compositio realis, the actual mixing of colors.²³ Aguilonius was the first to define the three basic colors and Rubens applied this theory to his own paintings. He preferred the use of transparent colors and flesh tones, using red, yellow and blue as can be seen in the nude figures of paintings, such as in Cimon and Pero (fig. 13).

21 Hout, Nico van. Rubens Unveiled: Notes on the Master’s Painting Technique, p. 11.

22 Magurn, Ruth Saunders. The Letters of Peter Paul Rubens, p.77.

23 Hout, Nico van. Rubens Unveiled: Notes on the Master’s Painting Technique, p. 12.

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Fig. 13. Peter Paul Rubens, Cimon and Pero

When looking at the figure of Cimon, the red, yellow and blue tones become apparent. It is clear that Rubens used the blue tones to add shadows to the figure to define the muscles and wrinkles on his skin. This use of fleshy tones can also be seen in the figure of Antiochus in Antiochus and Stratonice. Due to Antiochus’s sickness he is much paler and thus less red was used, but the use of blue, yellow, and green is very noticeable. The blue and yellow color tints can also be seen in the female figures of Stratonice and the attendee, which is an additional detail supporting the idea of the present composition having been painted by Rubens or his studio.

Rubens is famous for his preliminary sketches and studies on paper, panel and canvas.

Many of these preparatory works have survived, which gives us a very clear idea of how he was working to prepare his large-scale history scenes and other works. Rubens preferred forward planning, which was quite important when transferring accurate proportions and contours of figures and objects on to the larger canvas or panel.

According to van Hout, it appears that he may have adapted this method of creating preliminary sketches from Otto van Veen, but even from Italian masters such as Tintoretto and Federico Barocci.²⁴ He also used tronies made from live models to incorporate in his paintings, which he appeared to repeat in his compositions. One very interesting feature of this use of a

24 Id., p. 16.

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trony, or repetition of the use of a head, can be seen in Antiochus and Stratonice where multiple figures appear to be very closely related to previous heads in other compositions by Rubens.

In this painting, the head of Stratonice and of the female attendee look like Helene Fourment, Rubens’s second wife (fig. 14 and 15). She was one of Rubens’ main inspirations, thus, her facial features are portrayed in some of his paintings, such as in both versions of The Judgment of Paris, circa 1636 and 1639.

Fig. 14. Peter Paul Rubens, Rubens with Fig. 15. Peter Paul Rubens, The Fur Helene Fourment and their son Peter Paul

The narrow, plump, rosy lips, the long pointy nose, the fuller face, the big eyes, the curly hair, and the shape of the darker, swooping, eyebrows are very personal identification marks of Helene Fourment. In the 1636 version of The Judgment of Paris, the profile of the goddess in the middle, possibly Juno, resembles Helene Fourment’s facial features (fig. 16). She shares the straight, pointy nose and the fuller chin, as well as, the plump lips. These characteristics are also seen in Stratonice’s profile. In particular, Juno and Stratonice share the curly, blonde hair, as well as, similar ornamentations in the hair and jewelry.

ANTIOCHUS AND STRATONICE