(in 1545 mastercraftsman of the Guild of Saint Luke in Antwerp, died in Antwerp 1588/89)
Juno and Saturn,
oil on canvas, 120 x 94.3 cm, framed

Provenance:
South German private collection

This painting comes with a certificate by Dr Ursula Härting (2002). She writes, “The painting under examination, hitherto completely unknown, presents strong similarities with works that scholars have thus far attributed to Jacques de Backer. The figure of Juno displays the traits derived from classical antiquity that characterised the style of artists who had travelled to Italy in the 16th century. Jacques de Backer [...] was among the first Netherlandish artists who travelled to Rome, where he developed a marmoreal, elegant figural style in imitation of the manner of Florentine Cinquecento. Upon his return, he became one of the most influential artists in Antwerp [...]”.

Eckhard Leuschner published another version of this composition (in unknown private ownership, cf the photo in the Witt Library, London) as a product of what he called the ‘Backer group’ (in: Defining de Backer, New evidence on the last phase of Antwerp Mannerism before Rubens, Gazette des Beaux-Arts, April 2001, p. 167–192). The Backer group includes, in Härting’s words, “paintings with, above all, mythological, allegorical and biblical female nudes”. With regard to the content of the present painting, Härting writes, “Juno (Hera) appears as Venus, recognisable from her animal emblem, the peacock, standing near Saturn (Chronos), depicted with his symbolic attributes: a scythe, a mask and hourglass. Today we interpret the latter attribute as a sign of the personification of time, represented here by Saturn. Juno holds the golden chalice over Saturn and seems to ask the viewer whether he values the soul, the psyche, the spirit and human nature more than property and money, earthly goods. The artist cites an example from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. King Midas is visible in the background by a river as he tries to rid himself of the curse that transformed everything he touched into gold (Ovid, Metam. XI)”.

Dr Jan de Maere, whom we thank for his kind assistance, suggests an attribution of the present painting to Pauwels Franck, called Il Fiammingo (1540—1596). He compares it with the allegorical and mythological paintings commissioned by the Fugger family for Kirchheim castle.