19 Works, November 19th. is Louis de Boullogne's day, his art, illustrated with footnotes #237

Louis Boullogne the Younger

Apollo and Daphne

Oil on canvas

h: 75,50 w: 139 cm

Private collection

This painting illustrates an episode taken from Ovid's Metamorphoses (I, 464-577). Falling in love with the nymph Daphne, determined to remain chaste, Apollo pursues her in the woods. Begging her father, the river god Peneus, to deliver her, Daphne is then transformed into a laurel. Louis de Boullogne produced a first illustration of the theme, probably in the 1680s. This painting has recently reappeared on the art market. More on this painting

Louis de Boullogne II (19 November 1654 – 2 November 1733), known as Boullogne fils, was a French painter.

Boullogne was born and died in Paris, and was the brother of Bon Boullogne. Their father, Louis Boullogne, feared rivalry between the two brothers if Louis the younger became a painter and so at first opposed his wish to do so. However, his vocation finally won through and every evening Louis crossed Paris to go with Bon to draw at the Académie. Aged 18 he won the grand prix de peinture and left for Rome in 1676, when his brother returned from there. He made copies after The School of Athens, Disputation of the Holy Sacrament and many other works by Raphael, from which the Gobelins made many different tapestries for the French king.

Louis Boullogne the Younger, 1654-1733, French

Augustus Orders the Closing of the Doors of the Temple of Janus, ca. 1681

Oil on canvas

72.4 x 58.4 cm (28 1/2 x 23 inches)

I have no further description, at this time

This painting depicts a scene of great importance from the history of ancient Rome. Near the center of the painting, the red-cloaked figure can be identified as the great-nephew (and later adopted son) of Julius Caesar. After Ceasar’s death on the Ides of March, 44 BCE, this adopted relative—known then as Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus (now usually shortened to ‘Octavian’)—seized power in Rome by 43 BCE through a triumvirate pact with Mark Antony and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus.

At first the triumvirs were content to work together to massacre their mutual enemies and threats, but rivalry and hunger for power eventually led the triumvirs into conflict. Lepidus, always the weakest link of the three, was forced out of the partnership at about 36 BCE. Around 32 BCE, Octavian declared war on Queen Cleopatra of Egypt (Mark Antony’s lover and ally). Antony and Cleopatra stood no chance against Octavian’s brilliant admiral, Marcus Agrippa, who had the ill-fated couple defeated and cornered by 30 BCE. Knowing they could not win or escape, Antony and Cleopatra took their own lives, leaving Octavian as the sole authoritarian ruler of the Roman empire. These historical details serve as an epilogue to Louis Boullogne the Younger’s painting.

Back in Rome,the Janus Geminus temple, which was dedicated to the Roman deity, Janus—an enigmatic god of doors and doorways. The Romans were said to have kept the doors of the temple open whenever the state was at war. and as the Romans seemed to always be expanding and battling, the doors of the Janus Geminus remained open for the vast majority of Rome’s existence. 

Nevertheless, there were an anomalous few times when the temple doors were shut, and Octavian was one such man who could achieve this rare feat. This event, which occurred after Octavian’s triumphal return to Rome following his defeat of Antony and Cleopatra, was described by the Roman historian Cassius Dio, who wrote, “the action which gave him more pleasure than all these honours was the formal closing by the Senate of the gates of the temple of Janus, which signified that the Roman people’s wars were at an end…”. It is this rare event that Louis Boullogne the Younger strove to re-create in paint. More on Augustus closing the doors to the temple of Janus

Returning through Lombardy and Venice in 1680, Louis returned to Paris and soon won a great reputation. In 1681 he was received as a member of the Académie : his reception piece showed Augustus closing the doors to the temple of Janus, after the battle of Actium (See above) . On 3 February 1688 he married Marguerite Bacquet. 

Louis de Boullogne  (1654–1733)

Juno asking Aeolus to release the winds, c. 1727

Oil on canvas

Height: 105 cm (41.3 in); Width: 137.2 cm (54 in)

National Museum in Warsaw 

A performance based on the story described by Virgil in  Aeneid (I, 93-108 (65-77)) of the arrival to Lazio of Aeneas and his companions, whom Juno wanted to stop, asking the king of Aeolus to release the winds from the dungeons and send them to the sea against the Trojan ships . In return for this favor, she promised him a marriage to Dejopea, the most beautiful of the 14 nymphs in her retinue. This episode is the subject of the painting.

Aeolian with a scepter in hand is sitting on a rock, and below there is a winged figure of one of the winds emerging from the cave. Juno, with a peacock by his side, gestures towards Dejopea with a gesture of recommendation, surrounded by other nymphs. More on this painting

Louis de Boullogne  (1654–1733)

Triumph of Galatea

Oil on canvas

Height: 72 cm (28.3 in); Width: 103 cm (40.5 in)

Musée des Beaux-Arts de Strasbourg

Galatea; "she who is milk-white", was a sea-nymph, the fairest and most beloved of the 50 Nereids. In Ovid's Metamorphoses she appears as the beloved of Acis. When a jealous rival, the Sicilian Cyclops Polyphemus, killed him with a boulder, Galatea then turned his blood into the Sicilian River Acis, of which he became the spirit. According to Athenaeus, the story was first concocted by Philoxenus of Cythera as a political satire against the Sicilian tyrant Dionysius I of Syracuse, whose favourite concubine, Galatea, shared her name with the nymph. Others claim the story was invented to explain the presence of a shrine dedicated to Galatea on Mount Etna. More on Galatea

We see on the left the Cyclops Polyphemus who fell in love with Galatea represented triumphant on the seas, on a conch pulled by a dolphin and surrounded by naiads, putti and newts. The artist has chosen not to represent Acis, Polyphemus' unhappy rival. At the beginning of the XVI E century Raphaël had given the canonical version to the Villa Farnésine. More on this painting

François Boucher (1703–1770)

The Rape of Europa, c.1732–c.1734

Oil on canvas

H 230.8 x W 273.5 cm

The Wallace Collection

Ovid’s 'Metamorphoses' (II, 835–875) tells of the abduction of Europa by Jupiter, disguised as a bull. Charmed by the bull’s good nature, Europa climbed on his back, whereupon he bore her off into the waves, only stopping on Crete to ravish her. Boucher typically concentrates on the gallant aspects of the scene, eschewing any reference to the story’s violent dénouement. The picture, with its profusion of flowers, represented Smell in a series of five monumental canvases symbolizing the Senses. Painted without fee for the lawyer Derbais, the canvases greatly impressed contemporaries, establishing the young artist’s reputation as one of the leading decorative painters of eighteenth-century Paris. More on this painting

Boullogne, Louis II de, dit Le Jeune dit also, Le Jeune (Paris, 1654 - Paris, 1733)

The Abduction of Europa (or Jupiter transformed into a bull)

Oil on canvas

Height: 1.78 m; Width: 1.63 m

Louvre Museum

In Greek mythology Europa was the mother of King Minos of Crete, a woman with Phoenician origin of high lineage, and for whom the continent Europe was named. The story of her abduction by Zeus in the form of a white bull was a Cretan story; as classicist Károly Kerényi points out, "most of the love-stories concerning Zeus originated from more ancient tales describing his marriages with goddesses. This can especially be said of the story of Europa".

 

The mythographers tell that Zeus was enamored of Europa and decided to seduce or ravish her. He transformed himself into a tame white bull and mixed in with her father's herds. While Europa and her helpers were gathering flowers, she saw the bull, caressed his flanks, and eventually got onto his back. Zeus took that opportunity and ran to the sea and swam, with her on his back, to the island of Crete. He then revealed his true identity, and Europa became the first queen of Crete. More on Europa

Boullogne, Louis II de, dit Le Jeune dit also, Le Jeune (Paris, 1654 - Paris, 1733)

Apollo and Daphne, c. 1677

Oil on canvas

Height: 1.58 m; Width: 1.2m

Louvre Museum

Apollo and Daphne is a story from ancient Greek mythology, retold by Hellenistic and Roman authors in the form of an amorous vignette.

Apollo, the Greek god of music, poetry, art, the sun, and a great warrior, mocked the god of love, Eros, for his use of bow and arrow, as Apollo is also patron of archery.

The insulted Eros then prepared two arrows: one of gold and one of lead. He shot Apollo with the gold arrow, instilling in the god a passionate love for the river nymph Daphne. He shot Daphne with the lead arrow, instilling in her a hatred for Apollo. More on Apollo and Daphne

François Boucher (1703–1770)

Venus and Vulcan, c. 1754

Oil on canvas

H 164.5 x W 71.5 cm

The Wallace Collection

The first painting in a set of three pictures depicts Venus with her husband Vulcan, the god of fire and smith and armourer of the gods. The scene is set in a forge, with Cupid sharpening his arrows on Vulcan’s anvil, while the god is distracted by his wife. Venus seduced her husband, with whom she was not always on the best of terms, in order to persuade him to forge arms for her mortal son Aeneas. All three pictures were probably enlarged in the nineteenth century to match the size of a fourth picture, and then mounted on a screen which appeared in the Prousteau de Montlouis sale in 1851. The set was held in high regard at the time of its purchase by the 4th Marquess of Hertford, when the critic Thoré-Bürger believed them to be the most beautiful Bouchers in the world. More on this painting

François Boucher (1703–1770)

Cupid a Captive, probably c.1754

Oil on canvas

H 164.5 x W 84.5 cm

The Wallace Collection

Anacreon’s Ode XXX, 'Love Captive', relates how, when captured and bound with flowers by the Muses, Cupid, ‘becoming accustomed to his sweet captivity, preferred servitude to the charms of freedom’, so that even Venus herself was unable to tempt him away from his charming captors. Although undated, Cupid a Captive was probably painted at about the same time as the other three vertical mythological panels by Boucher in The Wallace Collection, c.1754. Together with the three panels, 'Cupid a Captive' was incorporated into a screen and sold at the Prousteau de Montlouis sale in 1851. Its subject, however, does not conform to the Venus imagery of the other three pictures. The handling and composition are different and recent cleaning of the other works has revealed that 'Cupid a Captive' was originally conceived on a slightly larger scale than the other three pictures. More on this painting

François Boucher (1703–1770)

Mars and Venus Surprised by Vulcan, c.1754

Oil on canvas

H 164 x W 71 cm

The Wallace Collection

The second picture in the set with P429 and P444 depicts the story of Vulcan who, hearing of his wife’s infidelity with Mars, fashioned a golden net to entrap the faithless pair. Catching them together, he invited the other gods to enjoy their humiliation, but attracted new lovers for his wife, Neptune and Mercury, whose passions were aroused by the sight of her naked body. The three Boucher panels, with their amorous subjects and exquisite touch, would seem to have been obvious purchases for the 4th Marquess of Hertford. He may have been attracted, too, by their inventive sale catalogue entry, which described them as boudoir decorations, possibly once belonging to Madame de Pompadour.

François Boucher (1703–1770)

The Judgment of Paris, c. 1754

Oil on canvas

H 164 x W 76.6 cm

The Wallace Collection

Peleus and Thetis, who threw a golden apple among the guests, inscribed ‘to the fairest’. Venus, Juno, and Minerva all claimed the prize. Jupiter decreed that the shepherd Paris, son of King Priam of Troy, should settle the dispute. When Venus promised Paris the love of the most beautiful woman on earth, he decided in her favour. Unlike other representations of the myth, Boucher’s typically ignores the moral implications of the tale in order to concentrate on portraying three beautiful naked women from different angles. All three pictures are fine examples of Boucher’s mythological canvases of the 1750s, as usual focussing on the female nude. More on this painting

Boullogne, Louis II de, dit Le Jeune dit also, Le Jeune (Paris, 1654 - Paris, 1733)

Venus asking Vulcan for arms for Aeneas

Oil on canvas

Height: 1 m; Width: 0.6 m

Louvre Museum

In the Aeneid (8:370-385) Virgil tells how Venus asked Vulcan to make a set of armour for Aeneas, her son, when he was about to go to war in Latium. The outcome of Aeneas' victory was the founding of a Trojan settlement on the Tiber from which, according to the legend, the Romans descended.

In Greco-Roman mythology, Aeneas was a Trojan hero, the son of the prince Anchises and the goddess Aphrodite (Venus). His father was a first cousin of King Priam of Troy, making Aeneas a second cousin to Priam's children (such as Hector and Paris). He is a character in Greek mythology and is mentioned in Homer's Iliad. Aeneas receives full treatment in Roman mythology, most extensively in Virgil's Aeneid, where he is an ancestor of Romulus and Remus. He became the first true hero of Rome. 

He played a prominent part in defending his city against the Greeks during the Trojan War, being second only to Hector in ability. Homer implies that Aeneas did not like his subordinate position, and from that suggestion arose a later tradition that Aeneas helped to betray Troy to the Greeks. The more common version, however, made Aeneas the leader of the Trojan survivors after Troy was taken by the Greeks. More on Aeneas

Boullogne, Louis II de, dit Le Jeune dit also, Le Jeune (Paris, 1654 - Paris, 1733)

Urania and Melpomene, c.1680

Oil on canvas

Height: 0.9 m; Width: 1.1 m

Louvre Museum

Melpomene is the daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne. Her sisters include Calliope (muse of epic poetry), Clio (muse of history), Euterpe (muse of lyrical poetry), Terpsichore (muse of dancing), Erato (muse of erotic poetry), Thalia (muse of comedy), Polyhymnia (muse of hymns), and Urania (muse of astronomy).

In 1722, he was chosen to design the medals and mottos for the Académie des inscriptions, receiving a new 1,000 livres pension and the ordre de Saint-Michel. In 1723, he was made rector of the Académie; in 1724, first painter to the king, with letters patent of nobility for him and his descendants; and, in 1725, director of the Académie, offices he held until his death. His students included Michel de Cornical [fr], Louis Galloche and Jacques-François Courtin. A strong supporter of the Académie, Louis de Boullogne supported its students with his lessons and his protection. He was the sworn enemy of the pochades and bambochades, claiming that only those with great skill and a fully formed taste could be allowed to paint.

Boullogne, Louis II de, dit Le Jeune dit also, Le Jeune (Paris, 1654 - Paris, 1733)

Abigail Offering Bread to David, circa 1700

Oil on canvas

Height: 0.938 m; Width: 1 m;

Louvre Museum

Abigail was married to Nabal; she became married to the future King David after Nabal's death. Abigail was David's second wife. She became the mother of one of David's sons, Daniel.

Nabal had demonstrated ingratitude towards David, and Abigail attempts to placate David, in order to stop the future King from taking revenge. She gives him food, and speaks to him, urging him not to "have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed."

After Abigail reveals to Nabal what she has done, "God struck Nabal and he died," after which David married her. Abigail is described as intelligent and beautiful. More on Abigail

Boullogne, Louis II de, dit Le Jeune dit also, Le Jeune (Paris, 1654 - Paris, 1733)

Rest on the Flight into Egypt, c. 1715

Oil on canvas

Height: 4.25 m; Width: 4.31 m

Louvre Museum

Boullogne, Louis II de, dit Le Jeune dit also, Le Jeune (Paris, 1654 - Paris, 1733)

Presentation at the temple, c. 1715

Oil on canvas

Height: 4.3 m; Width: 4.54 m

Louvre Museum

The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, according to the gospel, Mary and Joseph took the Infant Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem forty days after his birth to complete Mary's ritual purification after childbirth, and to perform the redemption of the firstborn son. Luke explicitly says that Joseph and Mary take the option provided for poor people (those who could not afford a lamb), sacrificing "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons." Leviticus indicates that this event should take place forty days after birth for a male child, hence the Presentation is celebrated forty days after Christmas. More on The Presentation of Jesus

Boullogne, Louis II de, dit Le Jeune dit also, Le Jeune (Paris, 1654 - Paris, 1733)

The mystical marriage of Saint Catherine

Oil on canvas

Height: 0.41 m; Width: 0.3 m

Louvre Museum

The Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine covers two different subjects in Christian art arising from visions received by either Saint Catherine of Alexandria or Saint Catherine of Siena (1347–1380), in which these virgin saints went through a mystical marriage wedding ceremony with Christ, in the presence of the Virgin Mary, consecrating themselves and their virginity to him.

The Catholic Encyclopaedia notes that such a wedding ceremony "is but the accompaniment and symbol of a purely spiritual grace", and that "as a wife should share in the life of her husband, and as Christ suffered for the redemption of mankind, the mystical spouse enters into a more intimate participation in His sufferings."  Catherine of Alexandria was martyred, while Catherine of Siena received the stigmata.

Both Saint Catherines are frequent subjects in Christian art; the scene usually includes one of the Saint Catherines and either the infant Jesus held by his mother or an adult Jesus. Very rarely both saints are shown in a double ceremony (as above). Saint Catherine of Alexandria is invariably dressed as a princess in rich clothes, often with a crown, and normally with loose long blonde hair and carrying a martyr's palm, sometimes with her attribute of a wheel; Saint Catherine of Siena is shown as a Dominican nun in white with a black over-robe open at the front, so it is usually easy to tell which saint is depicted. More Saint Catherine

Boullogne, Louis II de, dit Le Jeune dit also, Le Jeune (Paris, 1654 - Paris, 1733)

The Centurion with Christ, c. 1686

Oil on canvas

Height: 4.5 m; Width: 3.58 m

Louvre Museum

When Jesus entered Capernaum, some Jewish elders came to him and told him of a centurion’s servant who was ill. The centurion sent these elders to ask Jesus to come to his home and heal his servant. While Jesus was on his way to the home, more men came up to him. These men were sent by the centurion again with a message. They told Jesus to no longer bothering coming. The centurion said he is not worthy to have Jesus in his home. He still believed that if Jesus says the word his servant would be healed. Jesus proclaimed he had not found faith like the centurions in all of Israel. When the friends returned, they found the servant was healed. More on The Centurion with Christ

Louis de Boullogne  (1654–1733)

Le Christ et l'Hémorroïsse, circa 1695

Oil on canvas

Height: 37.5 cm (14.7 in); Width: 22.8 cm (8.9 in)

Musée Carnavalet 

Gospel according to Mark , chapter 5, verses 25-34 

“Now, a woman suffering from a flow of blood for twelve years, who had suffered greatly from many doctors and had spent all her assets without any profit, but was rather from bad to worse, had heard of Jesus. Coming from behind in the crowd, she touched her coat. Because she said to herself: “If I at least touch her clothes, I will be saved.” And immediately the source from which she was losing blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her infirmity. And immediately Jesus was aware of the force that had gone out of him, and having turned around in the crowd, he said, “Who has touched my clothes?” His disciples said to him: “You see the crowd pressing you on all sides, and you say: Who touched me? " And he was looking around to see who did it. Then the woman, fearful and trembling, knowing well what had happened to her, came and threw herself at his feet and told him the whole truth. And he said to her: "Daughter, your faith has saved you; go in peace and be healed of your infirmity." More on Le Christ et l'Hémorroïsse

Louis Boullogne was buried at Saint-Eustache, parish of his birth. He left a vast fortune to four children he had had with Bacquet - two sons (the eldest was councilor to the parlement de Metz, then conseiller d'État and an intendant des finances et ordres du roi, and the younger receiver general of finances for Tours) and two daughters (of which one married Jean-Pierre Richarol, receiver general of finances, with whom she had the painter Jean-Claude Richard, and the other became a nun). Jacques François Courtin was his pupil. More on Louis de Boullogne

Please visit my other blogs: Art Collector, Mythology, Marine Art, Portrait of a Lady, The Orientalist, Art of the Nude and The Canals of Venice, Middle East Artists, 365 Saints and 365 Days, also visit my Boards on Pinterest

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

I do not sell art, art prints, framed posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

If you enjoyed this post, please share with friends and family.

Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.

Please note that the content of this post primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.

23 Works, Today, June 3rd. is William Hilton's day, his story, illustrated with footnotes #152

William Hilton (1786-1839)

Preparatory study for "Massacre of the Innocents"

Oil on canvas

4.5ins x 14ins

Private collection

The Massacre of the Innocents is the incident in the nativity narrative of the Gospel of Matthew in which Herod the Great, king of Judea, orders the execution of all male children two years old and under in the vicinity of Bethlehem. The Catholic Church regards them as the first Christian martyrs. A majority of Herod biographers, and "probably a majority of biblical scholars," hold the event to be myth, legend or folklore. The Massacre of the Innocents

William Hilton RA (3 June 1786 – 30 December 1839), was a British portrait and history painter.

William Hilton  (1786–1839)

The Triumph of the Duke of Wellington, c. 1817 

Height: 97.2 cm (38.2 in); Width: 154 cm (60.6 in)

Rhode Island School of Design Museum

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of 19th-century Britain, serving twice as prime minister. He ended the Napoleonic Wars when he defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. More on the Duke of Wellington

William Hilton the Younger 1786–1839

Nature Blowing Bubbles for her Children, exhibited 1821

Oil paint on canvas

1727 × 2324 mm

Tate

Hilton was born in the gatehouse of the Vicar's Court in The Close, Lincoln, England, a son of Mary and William Hilton the elder, a portrait painter and scenery painter for the Miller's and later Robertson Theatre companies). William initially worked with his father. The company toured the Lincoln Theatre Circuit, young William was encouraged by theatre proprietor Fanny Robertson to pursue a career as an artist. After he rose to become a Royal Academician he painted her. She retired to live near the Georgian Theatre (now Angles Theatre in Wisbech), and his painting of Fanny in the role of "Beatrice", was in 1866 in the nearby Wisbech Working Men's Institute.

William Hilton  (1786–1839)

After Joseph Severn, based on a work of circa 1822

John Keats, circa 1822

Oil on canvas

Height: 76.2 cm (30 in); Width: 63.5 cm (25 in) 

National Portrait Gallery

A letter from Barry Cornwall to Woodhouse written in January 1823 says 'I have seen your Picture (Keats's Portrait) at Hilton's - it is capital.' This indicates that it was probably painted towards the end of 1822. Severn himself said it made Keats into 'a sneaking fellow' but of course Severn was prejudiced against Hilton who had been one of the culprits at the famous dinner party when Keats had defended Severn against a slanderous attack. More on this painting

He is also known as "William Hilton the Younger". Although he is best known today for simple portraits of the poets John Keats and John Clare, he was successful in his lifetime with huge history paintings in the "Grand Manner", which have not benefited from the revival of interest in 19th-century British Academic art, and unlikely to be on display in the museums that own them.

William Hilton (1786–1839)

The Birth of Triton

Oil on canvas

H 137 x W 127.5 cm

Usher Gallery

Triton is a mythological Greek god, the messenger of the sea. He is the son of Poseidon and Amphitrite, god and goddess of the sea respectively, and is herald for his father. He is usually represented as a merman, having the upper body of a human and the tail of a fish.

 

Like his father, Poseidon, he carried a trident. However, Triton's special attribute was a twisted conch shell, on which he blew like a trumpet to calm or raise the waves. Its sound was such a cacophony, that when loudly blown, it put the giants to flight, who imagined it to be the roar of a dark wild beast.

 

Triton was the father of Pallas and foster parent to the goddess Athena. Triton can sometimes be multiplied into a host of Tritones, daimones of the sea. More on Triton

William Hilton the Younger 1786–1839

Diana at the Bath, c.1820

Oil paint on wood

216 × 178 mm

Tate

William Hilton (1786–1839)

The Mermaid of Galloway

Oil on canvas

H 122 x W 101.6 cm

Tabley House

 In the 1810s Sir John Leicester was intrigued by a poem published by Robert Hartley Cromek, which told one version of the tale of the mermaid. Leicester commissioned the artist William Hilton to commit the story to canvas.

According to the folklore of the Scottish Lowlands, the mermaids were a race of goddesses who had become corrupted with earthly desire. Their beauty was such that the heart of any man who viewed their faces would be filled with unquenchable desire. They would select a man of ‘exalted virtue and rare endowments’ and then woo him with their siren like voices.

In this painting we see the moment a young man falls prey to the charms of the mermaid. Her arms are raised above her head; one hand combs her long curly locks of burning gold whilst the other tries to tear them out. Her eyes meet his and, despite his evident youth and strength, he quickly succumbs to her powers. Above them, a storm rages. More on this painting

William Hilton the Younger 1786–1839

Cupid and Nymph, exhibited 1828

Oil paint on canvas

724 × 889 mm

Tate

A Cherub, fairly interchangeably with Putti, Cupid, Eros, and Amorini is a winged infant child popular in Greek and Roman art. Usually male, and often one will appear in Greek art as a little Eros accompanying Aphrodite, sometimes Bacchanalian. The Roman version is a Cupid, son of Venus, goddess of Love, and herself the Roman equivalent of Aphrodite. After Classical times, they were not so popular, in sculpture at least, until Renaissance times when they returned in force as a recognised part of Christian art, sometimes indicating a young angel, often musical, but generally decorative rather than greatly symbolic of anything in particular. They were again revived in the 19th Century, lasting through Edwardian times before going into sharp decline after World War I. Allegorically, if not religious, our 19th and early 20th Century Cherubs or Putti may be linked with Love, or reflecting various of the normal grown-up allegorical statues. More on Cupid

A nymph in Greek and Latin mythology is a minor female nature deity typically associated with a particular location or landform. Different from other goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as divine spirits who animate nature, and are usually depicted as beautiful, young nubile maidens who love to dance and sing; their amorous freedom sets them apart from the restricted and chaste wives and daughters of the Greek polis. They are beloved by many and dwell in mountainous regions and forests by lakes and streams. Although they would never die of old age nor illness, and could give birth to fully immortal children if mated to a god, they themselves were not necessarily immortal, and could be beholden to death in various forms. More on nymphs

William Hilton (1786–1839)

Cupid Armed

Oil on board

H 30.5 x W 26.5 cm

Usher Gallery

William Hilton (1786–1839)

Una and the Satyrs

Oil on canvas

H 157.5 x W 240 cm

Usher Gallery

While satyrs usually get a pretty bad reputation in Classical mythology, the satyrs in the Faerie Queene come off relatively well. They're pretty much benign and even help Una out when Sansloy is chasing her. 

While they recognize Una's beauty and holiness—their leader Sylvanus is totally stunned—they mistakenly start to worship her instead of what she stands for, i.e. Christian belief and Jesus. By turning her into a literal manifestation of a goddess, they are making the mistake Christians believes all polytheistic religions made in worshipping objects they can see instead of Divine truth that they can't. Just to make sure you totally appreciate their silliness, once the satyrs stop worshipping Una they start worshipping her donkey. Una and the Satyrs

In 1800, Hilton was apprenticed to the engraver John Raphael Smith, and around the same time enrolled at the Royal Academy Schools. Another apprentice from 1802 was Peter De Wint, they were inseparable friends and lived together in Broad Street, Golden Square, De Wint married William's only sister Harriett. De Wint visited Hilton's home in Up-Hill, Lincoln and painted many of his landscapes in the district. In Lincoln cathedral is a cenotaph erected by Mrs De Wint in memory of the two artists - De Wint her husband, and Hilton, her brother. Hilton first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1803, sending a Group of Banditti and soon established a reputation for choice of subject, and qualities of design and colour superior to the great mass of his contemporaries. He made a tour in Italy with Thomas Phillips, the portraitist.

William Hilton (1786–1839)

The Miracle of Saint Mark (after Jacopo Tintoretto (See below)), c. 1823

Oil on canvas

H 55 x W 78 cm

Usher Gallery

The subject of the canvas is the miraculous appearence of St Mark to rescue one of his devotees, a servant of a knight of Provence, who had been condemned to having his legs broken and his eyes put out for worshipping the relics of the saint against his master's will. The scenes takes place on a kind of proscenium which seems to force the action out of the painting towards the spectator who is thus involved in the amazement of the crowd standing in a semi-circle around the protagonists: the fore-shortened figure of the slave lying on the ground, the dumbfounded executioner holding aloft the broken implements of torture, the knight of Provence starting up from his seat out of the shadow into the light, while the figure of St Mark swoops down from above. More on this painting

Jacopo Tintoretto  (1519–1594)

Miracle of the Slave, c. 1548

Oil on canvas

Height: 415 cm (13.6 ft); Width: 541 cm (17.7 ft)

Gallerie dell'Accademia, Venice

The painting is the first of a series of works, painted in 1548 for the Scuola Grande di San Marco while Marco Episcopi, his future father-in-law was Grand Guardian of the School.

In keeping with the drama of the action is the tight construction of the painting, the dramatic fore-shortening of the forms and sudden strong contrast of light and shade.

William Hilton (1786–1839)

The Crucifixion (after Tintoretto (See below))

Oil on canvas

H 44 x W 75 cm

Usher Gallery

Crucifixion is a historical method of capital punishment in which the victim is tied or nailed to a large wooden beam and left to hang for several days until eventual death from exhaustion and asphyxiation. It is principally known from classical antiquity, but remains in occasional use in some countries. 

The crucifixion of Jesus is a central narrative in Christianity, and the cross (sometimes depicting Jesus nailed onto it) is the main religious symbol for many Christian churches. More Crucifixion

Jacopo Tintoretto, Venezia, 1519 - 1594

Crucifixion, ca. 1555

Oil on canvas

280 x 444 cm

Gallerie dell'Accademia, Venice

Jacopo Tintoretto, Venezia, 1519 - 1594

Detail; Crucifixion, ca. 1555

Oil on canvas

280 x 444 cm

Gallerie dell'Accademia, Venice

The composition is teeming with figures, framed on the left by the centurion bearing the fluttering standard and to the right by the group of horsemen and soldiers playing dice, gambling for the robes of Christ. An extraordinary group of sketchily painted spindly figures stand out in the background, bathed in light. The canvas is characterised by a rich, brilliant chromaticism, with bright reds and blues, in all likelihood influenced by Paolo Veronese. More on this painting

Tintoretto; born Jacopo Comin, (October, 1518 – May 31, 1594) was an Italian painter and a notable exponent of the Renaissance school. For his phenomenal energy in painting he was termed Il Furioso. His work is characterized by its muscular figures, dramatic gestures, and bold use of perspective in the Mannerist style, while maintaining color and light typical of the Venetian School.

 

In his youth, Tintoretto was also known as Jacopo Robusti as his father had defended the gates of Padua in a way that others called robust, against the imperial troops during the War of the League of Cambrai (1509–1516). His real name "Comin" has only recently been discovered by Miguel Falomir, the curator of the Museo del Prado, Madrid, and was made public on the occasion of the retrospective of Tintoretto at the Prado in 2007. More on Tintoretto

William Hilton (1786–1839)

Samson and Delilah (after Anthony van Dyck (See below)), c.1810–1830

Oil on canvas

H 133.4 x W 198.1 cm

Victoria and Albert Museum

Samson  is one of the last of the judges of the ancient Israelites mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. According to the biblical account, Samson was given supernatural strength by God in order to combat his enemies and perform heroic feats. Samson had two vulnerabilities—his attraction to untrustworthy women and his hair, without which he was powerless. These vulnerabilities ultimately proved fatal for him.

 

Samson eventually fell in love with a woman named Delilah. The Philistines bribed Delilah with 1,100 silver pieces from each of the Philistine leaders, to get her to figure out the secret of Samson's strength and tell them. 

 

After asking him several times what the secret to his strength is: "Finally he disclosed to her all his heart and said to her: 'A razor has never come upon my head, because I am a Naz′i·rite of God from my mother’s belly. If I did get shaved, my power also would certainly depart from me, and I should indeed grow weak and become like all other men.'" 

 

She relayed this to the Philistine axis lords, got Samson to fall asleep, and while he was sleeping, had his head shaved. The Philistines then took him captive, put out both his eyes, and made him their slave. 

 

One day as they are having a great party to worship their false god Dagon, the Philistines bring Samson out so they can make fun of him. By that time, Samson's hair has grown out again. Samson has a young boy lead him to the pillars that hold the building up, prays to Jehovah for strength, takes hold of the pillars, and cries out: "Let my soul die with the Philistines."

 

There are 3,000 Philistines on the roof of the building alone, and many more inside (the axis lords are all there as well), and when Samson pushes against the pillars, the building falls down and kills all of them, including Samson. More on Samson and Delilah

Anthony van Dyck  (1599–1641)

Samson and Delilah, c. 1628 - 1630

Oil on canvas

Height: 1,460 mm (57.48 in); Width: 2,540 mm (100 in)

Kunsthistorisches Museum

William Hilton (1786–1839)

Saint Peter, Martyr (after Titian (See below))

Oil on canvas

H 109 x W 76 cm

Usher Gallery

Peter of Verona (1206 – April 6, 1252), also known as Saint Peter Martyr, was a 13th-century Italian Catholic priest. He was a Dominican friar and a celebrated preacher. He served as Inquisitor in Lombardy, was killed by an assassin, and was canonized as a Catholic saint 11 months after his death, making this the fastest canonization in history. More on Saint Peter, Martyr

Tiziano Vecellio, or Titian (1488/1490 – 27 August 1576)

The Death of St Peter Martyr, c. 1527-29

Oil on canvas

500 x 306 cm

Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo, Venice

At the close of the 1520s, Titian completed what used to be considered one of his finest works, The Death of St Peter Martyr. Tragically, it was destroyed in 1867 by fire in the Chapel of Rosary, where the painting was deposited at the time of the fire. The painting presently displayed in the Basilica is an 18th-century copy by Niccolò Cassala. More on this painting

Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio, or Titian (1488/1490 – 27 August 1576), was an Italian painter, the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school. 

 

Recognized by his contemporaries as "The Sun Amidst Small Stars", Titian was one of the most versatile of Italian painters, equally adept with portraits, landscape backgrounds, and mythological and religious subjects. His painting methods, particularly in the application and use of color, would exercise a profound influence not only on painters of the Italian Renaissance, but on future generations of Western art.

 

During the course of his long life, Titian's artistic manner changed drastically but he retained a lifelong interest in color. Although his mature works may not contain the vivid, luminous tints of his early pieces, their loose brushwork and subtlety of tone are without precedent in the history of Western painting. More on Titian

In 1813, having exhibited "Miranda and Ferdinand with the Logs of Wood," he was elected as an associate of the Academy, and in 1820 as a full academician; his diploma-picture representing Ganymede. In 1823, he produced "Christ crowned with Thorns," a large and important work regarded as his masterpiece, subsequently bought as the first purchase of the Chantrey Fund in 1878. In 1827 he succeeded Henry Thomson as Keeper of the Royal Academy. Two of his works were bought by the British Institution for churches for £525 and £1050, but the failure of "Edith finding the Body of Harold" (1834) (See below) to make more than £200 marked the end of the taste for such works.

William Hilton the Younger 1786–1839

Editha and the Monks Searching for the Body of Harold, exhibited 1834

Oil paint on canvas

3340 × 2437 mm

Tate

Edith was the wife or consort of King Harold and was also known as ’Edith the Fair”. She is remembered in folklore as the person who identified Harold’s mutilated body following the battle of Hastings, fought on 14 October 1066,  through love bites only she knew she had administered on the night before the fight. She is said to have offered her husband’s weight in gold to be allowed to give his corpse a Christian burial but the triumphant Normans refused her request, fearing that Harold’s burial place would become a rallying point for any future English resistance movements. More on this painting

In 1828 he was awarded the Freedom of Lincoln.

He died in London on 30 December 1839. He was buried in the family grave in the Savoy Chapel, destroyed by fire on 7 July 1864. The chapel was restored in 1866 and Mrs De Wint placed a beautiful font in the edifice. Close by a tablet bears the words: 'This font was presented to the Chapel Royal of the Savoy by Harriet De Wint, in place of a Monument previously erected to the memory of her brother William Hilton R.A. her husband Peter de Wint, and other members of her family, whose remains are interred in the adjoining cemetery. The Monument was destroyed by the fire, July VII., MDCCCLXIV. May this tribute be long preserved to the glory of God'.

William Hilton (1786–1839)

The Rape of Europa, c. 1818

Oil on canvas

H 145 x W 193 cm

National Trust, Petworth House

In Greek mythology Europa was the mother of King Minos of Crete, a woman with Phoenician origin of high lineage, and for whom the continent Europe was named. The story of her abduction by Zeus in the form of a white bull was a Cretan story; as classicist Károly Kerényi points out, "most of the love-stories concerning Zeus originated from more ancient tales describing his marriages with goddesses. This can especially be said of the story of Europa".

 

The mythographers tell that Zeus was enamored of Europa and decided to seduce or ravish her. He transformed himself into a tame white bull and mixed in with her father's herds. While Europa and her helpers were gathering flowers, she saw the bull, caressed his flanks, and eventually got onto his back. Zeus took that opportunity and ran to the sea and swam, with her on his back, to the island of Crete. He then revealed his true identity, and Europa became the first queen of Crete. More on Europa

In Lincoln Cathedral, a Cenotaph to the joint memory of Her husband and brother was erected by Mrs De Wint.[10] The following year an engraving by Charles Wass, of a portrait in chalk of Keats by Hilton was used in 'The Poetical works of John Keats' published by Taylor and Walton, London (1840)

Some of his best-regarded pictures include "Angel releasing Peter from Prison" (life-size), painted in 1831, "Una with the Lion entering Corceca's Cave" (1832), the "Murder of the Innocents," his last exhibited work (1838), "Comus" and "Amphitrite". The Tate Gallery now owns "Edith finding the Body of Harold" (1834), "Cupid Disarmed, Rebecca and Abraham's Servant" (1829), "Nature blowing Bubbles for her Children" (1821), and "Sir Calepine rescuing Serena" (from The Faerie Queene) (1831).[12] In the National Portrait Gallery is his likeness of John Keats, with whom he was acquainted. More on William Hilton

Please visit my other blogs: Art Collector, Mythology, Marine Art, Portrait of a Lady, The Orientalist, Art of the Nude and The Canals of Venice, Middle East Artists, 365 Saints and 365 Days, also visit my Boards on Pinterest

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

I do not sell art, art prints, framed posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

If you enjoyed this post, please share with friends and family.

Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.

Please note that the content of this post primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.