The Judgment of Midas

Gijsbrecht Leytens is a painter best known for his winter landscapes, here he exceptionally depicts a summer landscape with beautiful trees and numerous birds. His touch is sometimes very detailed and sometimes broader.
Francken was obviously responsible for figuration. For this, he uses a psychological interaction between the protagonists who have eye contact (They are surrounded by all kinds of fauns and muses). 
Our painting depicts a story from Ovid's Metamorphoses about a musical contest between Apollo and Pan, conflating the entire narrative into one scene. Pan audaciously challenged the god of music to the competition and blew a rustic melody on his pipes that delighted King Midas. Then, Apollo played his lyre so beautifully that the mountain god, Timolus, who judged the contest, pictured here holding a staff, declared Apollo the victor. Midas disagreed and Apollo gave Midas a donkey's ears for his "poor" judgment. In our painting, Apollo is shown playing his harp. 
We are grateful to Dr. Ursula Härting for her certificate, confirming our work as an original Francken II/ Leytens.
Oil on panel, 58 x 82 cm