David Teniers the Younger, 'The Rich Man being led to Hell', about 1647
About the work
Overview
The fires of hell light up Teniers’s cave-like underworld with an eerie glow. An old man stands, hands raised in self-defence, his eyes wide with fear at the sight of the horrors around him. Weird creatures gather in glee to welcome another soul into the dreadful place that his greed and avarice have led him to.
The story – a parable that Christ told his disciples about the evil of gathering wealth without doing charitable deeds – comes from the Gospel of Luke. This picture shows the fate of the rich man who rejected the beggar Lazarus in his last hours: while Lazarus was carried to heaven, the rich man went to hell as a punishment. Flanders was a Catholic country and the idea of hell was very real, but sinners could receive forgiveness for their trespasses. This is a picture meant as a moral message, but perhaps with a light tone.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- The Rich Man being led to Hell
- Artist
- David Teniers the Younger
- Artist dates
- 1610 - 1690
- Date made
- about 1647
- Medium and support
- oil on wood
- Dimensions
- 48 × 69 cm
- Inscription summary
- Signed
- Acquisition credit
- Bought, 1871
- Inventory number
- NG863
- Location
- Not on display
- Collection
- Main Collection
- Previous owners
Provenance
Additional information
Text extracted from the ‘Provenance’ section of the catalogue entry in Gregory Martin, ‘National Gallery Catalogues: The Flemish School: circa 1600–circa 1900’, London 1986; for further information, see the full catalogue entry.
Bibliography
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1830
J. Smith, A Catalogue Raisonné of the Works of the Most Eminent Dutch, Flemish, and French Painters: In Which is Included a Short Biographical Notice of the Artists, with a Copious Description of Their Principal Pictures […], vol. 2, London 1830
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1844A.M. Jameson, Companion to the Most Celebrated Private Galleries of Art in London: Containing Accurate Catalogues, Arranged Alphabetically, for Immediate Reference, Each Preceded by an Historical & Critical Introduction […], London 1844
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1854G.F. Waagen, Treasures of Art in Great Britain: Being and Account of the Chief Collections of Paintings, Drawings, Sculptures, Illuminated Mss. […], vol. 2, trans. E. Eastlake, London 1854
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1857C. Blanc, Le trésor de la curiosité, 2 vols, Paris 1857
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1970G. Martin, The Flemish School, circa 1600-circa 1900, London 1970
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1980J.P. Davidson, David Teniers the Younger, London 1980
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1986Martin, Gregory, National Gallery Catalogues: The Flemish School, circa 1600 - circa 1900, London 1986
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2001
C. Baker and T. Henry, The National Gallery: Complete Illustrated Catalogue, London 2001
About this record
If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.