Bartholomeus Spranger, attributed to (b. Antwerp 1546, d. Prague 1611)
Purchased by the National Gallery of Denmark in May 2018.
Hercules, Deianira and the Centaur Nessus. Unsigned. Drawing ink and wash on paper. Sheet size 181×292 mm.
The subject matter is derived from Ovid's Metamorphoses, where the centaur Nessus escapes through the Euenus River with the abducted Deianira, the wife of Hercules, who comes to her rescue. The artist has depicted the scene in a way typical for Mannerists, who were fond of long-limbed twisted figures. Spranger depicted the subject on several occasions, and it is known from both a painting (Kunsthistorisches Museum, Wien; Metzler no. 28) and a drawing (Private collection, New York; Metzler no. 124) by the artist. The fluid broken lines and the quick rendering of the pen are typical of Spranger's drawings from the late 1590s.
Exhibited: The Nivaagaard Collection, “Tegnekunst på Nivaagaard”, 1983, no. 69. Reproduced pl. 69.
Provenance: Benjamin Wolff (1790–1866) (Lugt 420). Thence by descent.
Condition report on request. Contact wolff@bruun-rasmussen.dk
Please note: The item is subject to the Anti-Money Laundering Act. In the event of a hammer price of DKK 50,000 or more, including buyer’s premium, the buyer must submit a copy of a valid photo ID and proof of address in order to collect the item.
The Wolff Collection, 30 May 2018