Studio of Peter Paul Rubens
Minerva and Mercury lead George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, through the Temple of Virtue
This dynamic composition, executed in the studio of Peter Paul Rubens, illustrates the allegorical triumph of virtue and wisdom over worldly temptation.
Minerva, goddess of wisdom, and Mercury, messenger of the gods, guide George Villiers, the Duke of Buckingham, toward the Temple of Virtue, symbolizing moral enlightenment and noble aspiration.
The vigorous movement, muscular anatomy, and rich coloration reflect Rubens’s influence and the grand Baroque idiom cultivated in his Antwerp workshop. The painting’s circular rhythm and interplay of figures evoke the theatrical energy characteristic of Rubens’s allegorical inventions.
Oil on panel, 62 x 48 cm (24 ³/₈ x 18 ⁷/₈ inches)
ENQUIRIES
+32 (0)478 38 18 29
-Anthony Reyre, AZt Dealer London.
-Keyaerts, R. (Brussels), Public auction of old paintings, March 9, 1953, lot number: 78
-Servarts (Brussels), Paintings by Old and Modern Masters, Wine, Books, Engravings, Art Objects, Jewelry.... 1995-11-07–1995-11-09, Lot number: 30
-Servarts (Brussels) Books, Engravings, Old and Modern Paintings, Glassware, Display Objects, Silverware, ... [etc.], May 12, 1998 – May 14, 1998, lot number: 487
-Private collection, Ghent (Belgium)
-Keyaerts, R. (Brussels), Public auction of old paintings, March 9, 1953, lot number: 78
-Servarts (Brussels), Paintings by Old and Modern Masters, Wine, Books, Engravings, Art Objects, Jewelry.... 1995-11-07–1995-11-09, Lot number: 30
-Servarts (Brussels) Books, Engravings, Old and Modern Paintings, Glassware, Display Objects, Silverware, ... [etc.], May 12, 1998 – May 14, 1998, lot number: 487
-Private collection, Ghent (Belgium)
-Anthony Reyre, AZt Dealer London.
-Keyaerts, R. (Brussels), Public auction of old paintings, March 9, 1953, lot number: 78
-Servarts (Brussels), Paintings by Old and Modern Masters, Wine, Books, Engravings, Art Objects, Jewelry.... 1995-11-07–1995-11-09, Lot number: 30
-Servarts (Brussels) Books, Engravings, Old and Modern Paintings, Glassware, Display Objects, Silverware, ... [etc.], May 12, 1998 – May 14, 1998, lot number: 487
-Private collection, Ghent (Belgium)
-Keyaerts, R. (Brussels), Public auction of old paintings, March 9, 1953, lot number: 78
-Servarts (Brussels), Paintings by Old and Modern Masters, Wine, Books, Engravings, Art Objects, Jewelry.... 1995-11-07–1995-11-09, Lot number: 30
-Servarts (Brussels) Books, Engravings, Old and Modern Paintings, Glassware, Display Objects, Silverware, ... [etc.], May 12, 1998 – May 14, 1998, lot number: 487
-Private collection, Ghent (Belgium)
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