Jesus Chassing The Temple Merchants - Attributed To Hendrick II Van Steenwyck (1580 - 1649)

"Christ chasing the merchants of the Temple - Attributed to Hendrick II van Steenwyck (1580 - 1649)" Oil on oak panel. Under the nave of a cathedral unfolds an unusual scene: cattle dealers are installed and Christ (bottom right) brandishes a whip to expel them. It is a parable of the episode recounted by John (2: 13-25) "Jesus chasing the merchants of the Temple" transposed into a church interior. Although close to the architecture of Our Lady of Antwerp, it is an imaginary church. In October 2016, in a colloquium on architectural painting in the 16th and 17th centuries in Antwerp, Dr. Anna Koopstra of the National Gallery in London evoked the use of engravings as sources by Hendrik van Steenwyck the Younger. With perfect control of the light that floods a window, van Steenwyck places two groups of characters at the foot of columns on the left and right. This suggests the altar in the choir of the church at the bottom of the perspective. The finesse of the details of the architectural elements is remarkable: ornament of the columns, capitals, friezes and crows, but especially the organ suspended over a vault. Related work: Church interior preserved at the National Gallery in London. Reversed frame in molded wood and black walnut veneer. Dimensions: 31 x 44 cm - 50 x 64 cm with frame Hendrick II van Steenwyck says Young, or Steenwijck (Antwerp 1580 - Leiden 1649) succeeds his father Hendrick I van Steenwyck at the head of his painting studio in Frankfurt. He is one of the pioneers in the representation of architectural interiors. Steenwyck is active in Frankfurt but also in Antwerp between 1604 and 1615 where he collaborates with Frans I Francken or Jan Brueghel the Elder. Introduced to the English court, he moved to London in 1615. Steenwyck collaborated with the painters of the crown and painted sets for Anton van Dyck and Daniel Mytens the Elder. During his British stay, he met his wife Susanna Gaspoel, who was also a painter of architecture. The artist couple returned to The Hague in 1638 and moved to Leiden around 1642. Steenwyck left an important production and his work undeniably influenced the painting of Peeter I Neef.