Allegory of Peace, Fertility and Science Hans von Aachen 1601

From the collection of
Museum Kunstpalast
In the course of his travels as an artist, Hans von Aachen visited Venice, Rome and Florence. From 1596 he was in Prague, where he served as Chamber Painter at Rudolph II’s court. Alongside Spranger and Heintz, von Aachen is considered a prominent representative of Rudolfine painting. This tendency is characterized by an elegant portrayal of the figures, also based on Parmigianino’s style, as can be seen on close examination of the present work. The drawing can be linked to a painting dated 1602, which the Emperor commissioned to the artist. Today it adorns the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg and features an allegory interpreted as peace, which enables fertility and the flourishing of the sciences. (Sonja Brink)

Title: Allegory of Peace, Fertility and Science
Creator: Hans von Aachen
Date Created: c. 1601
Provinience: Sammlung der Kunstakademie (NRW)
Physical Dimensions: w140 x h203 cm
Object notes (german): Hans von Aachens Leben als Wanderkünstler führte ihn nach Venedig, Rom und Florenz. Dann findet man ihn ab 1596 in Prag, wo er bei Hofe als Kammermaler Rudolphs II. diente. Neben Spranger und Heintz gilt von Aachen als prominenter Vertreter der Rudolfinischen Malerei. Sie wird durch eine elegante, auch an Parmigianino geschulte Auffassung der Figuren charakterisiert, wie sie auf dem vorliegenden Blatt studiert werden kann. Die Zeichnung lässt sich mit einem 1602 datierten Gemälde verbinden, das der Kaiser beim Künstler in Auftrag gab. Es schmückt heute die St. Petersburger Ermitage und zeigt eine Allegorie, die als Frieden gedeutet wird, welcher Fruchtbarkeit entstehen und die Wissenschaften erblühen lässt. (Sonja Brink)
Object Work Type (german): Feder in Braun, über Graphitstift, braun laviert, wenig Rötel, gewischt, mit Deckweiß gehöht
Object Title (german): Allegorie des Friedens, der Fruchtbarkeit und der Wissenschaftum
Type: Penand ink in brown, on graphite pencil, brown wash, a little red chalk, smeared, with opaque white
Rights: Museum Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf, Sammlung der Kunstakademie (NRW); photo: Horst Kolberg, Neuss
External Link: http://www.smkp.de/

Hans von Aachen (1552 – 4 March 1615) was a German painter who was one of the leading representatives of Northern Mannerism.

[pt_view id="326e7c34ml"]

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.
http://hisour.com/art-medium/ink/allegory-peace-fertility-science-hans-von-aachen-1601/