Bartholomäus Spranger, Aristotle & Phyllis, 1500s-1600s, Oil on Canvas

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Bartholomäus spranger (antwerp, 1546 – ​​prague, 1611) workshop

aristotle and phyllis

oil on canvas (64 x 54 cm. - framed … Read more Bartholomäus spranger (antwerp, 1546 – ​​prague, 1611) workshop

aristotle and phyllis

oil on canvas (64 x 54 cm. - framed 79 x 72 cm.)

the curious subject of the proposed painting, quite widespread between the middle ages and the renaissance, draws inspiration from the medieval legend that tells of how the philosopher aristotle, known for his wisdom, was seduced and subdued by the young and beautiful phyllis.

despite his much-professed discipline, the great scholar fell in love with the girl so much that he became her laughing stock, here immortalized on his knees while she even rides him, thus demonstrating the power of seduction over reason.

the story was interpreted as a warning about female power and the vulnerability of men, without distinction, even the wisest: it is therefore a sort of moralizing fable intended to warn against the pleasures of the flesh.

the iconography is taken from an invention by bartholomäus spranger (antwerp, 1546 – ​​prague, 1611), a leading exponent of european mannerism and active at the habsburg court in prague, serving emperor rudolf ii. The original painting, lost, was then handed down thanks to the relative engraving by sadler, which we propose in the attached images.

from a stylistic point of view and considering the period, we can easily consider our work as an example coming from his workshop or more likely from an author of the close circle, therefore datable to the very first decades of the seventeenth century.

given spranger's role as the emperor's trusted painter, it is hypothesized that this amusing illustration was created for the personal pleasure of emperor rudolf, a great patron and art collector but at the same time a lover of women, alluding to his weakness and therefore to ironically warn him.

if even the learned aristotle, whose erudition is evident from the books piled up on the shelf, was helpless in the face of female wiles, anyone including the emperor would have been justified in giving in to the temptations of the flesh.

additional information:

the work is sold complete with a pleasant antique frame and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and descriptive iconographic sheet. This piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no
official proof of authenticity,
however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity



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