The Amazement of the Gods Hans von Aachen 1590s

From the collection of
The National Gallery, London
The subject is obscure but may be explained by the contemporary inscription on a drawing (in Stuttgart) of an analogous composition attributed to Hans von Aachen: 'This shows how Jupiter abandons Venus and loves Minerva, with the amazement of all other pagan gods.'

The erotic subject suggests the drawing was made in Prague, either when the painter visited the city in the early 1590s, or during his residence there.
Details
Title: The Amazement of the Gods (?)
Creator: Hans von Aachen
Date Created: probably 1590s
Physical Dimensions: 35.5 x 45.8 cm
Type: Painting
Medium: Oil on copper
School: German
Inventory number: NG6475
Artist Dates: 1552 - 1615
Artist Biography: Hans von Aachen was born in Cologne and took his name from his father's birthplace. He trained in Cologne and travelled in Italy before a period in Bavaria (1589 - about 1596). From 1596 he settled in Prague, where he mainly served the Emperor Rudolf II as artist and adviser on the acquisition of art objects.
Acquisition Credit: Bought, 1982
Hans von Aachen
1552 - Mar 4, 1615

Hans von Aachen, was a German mannerist painter.

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Hans von Aachen was a versatile and productive artist who worked in many genres He was successful as a painter of princely and aristocratic portraits, and further painted religious, mythological and allegorical subjects Known for his skill in the depiction of nudes, his eroticized mythological scenes were particulzarly enjoyed by his principal patron, Emperor Rudolf II These remain the works for which he is best known He also painted a number of genre paintings of small groups of figures shown from the chest upwards, laughing, often apparently using himself and his wife as models Von Aachen usually worked on a small scale and many of his works are cabinet paintings on copper

The life and work of Hans von Aachen bear unique witness to the cultural transfer between North, South and Central Europe in the late 16th and early 17th centuries After training in the tradition of Netherlandish Renaissance painting the artist moved to Italy in 1574, where he remained for about 14 years, mainly working in Venice He returned in 1587 to his native Germany, where he took up residence in Munich in Bavaria His final years were spent in Prague The combination of the Netherlandish realism of his training and the Italian influences gained during his travels gave rise to his unique painting style

His presence in the important art centres of the time, the wide distribution of prints after his designs and his congenial character all contributed to his international fame during his lifetime
https://hisour.com/art-medium/paintings/amazement-gods-hans-von-aachen-1590s/