Anthony van Dyck, 'St Ambrose barring Theodosius from Milan Cathedral', about 1619-20
About the work
Overview
In this painting, Saint Ambrose (about 340–398), Bishop of Milan, stops the Emperor Theodosius (about 346–395) and his retinue from entering the city’s cathedral. This was a punishment for Theodosius‘ massacre of the people of Thessalonica, who had murdered his general, Butheric.
This story was recorded in the Golden Legend, a medieval compilation of saints’ lives. It also recounts how Saint Ambrose rebuked the arrogance of the Emperor’s follower Ruffinus, declaring ‘Thou hast no more shame than a hound’ – something Van Dyck references by depicting a dog at Ruffinus' feet.
This picture is based on a larger version of the subject by Peter Paul Rubens (Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna), painted around 1615 to 1616. Van Dyck worked in Rubens’s studio as his assistant, and was heavily influenced by the older artist.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- The Emperor Theodosius is forbidden by Saint Ambrose to enter Milan Cathedral
- Artist
- Anthony van Dyck
- Artist dates
- 1599 - 1641
- Date made
- about 1619-20
- Medium and support
- oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- 149 × 113.2 cm
- Acquisition credit
- Bought, 1824
- Inventory number
- NG50
- Location
- Not on display
- Collection
- Main Collection
- Previous owners
- Frame
- 20th-century Replica Frame
Provenance
Perhaps P. P. Rubens (†) sale, Antwerp, 1640 (233). Probably in the Roger Harenc (†) sale, Langford, 1 March, 1764 (50). Apparently coll. Lord Scarborough (1725–1782) and bought from his heir by Hastings Elwyn; apparently first recorded in Elwyn’s possession 29 December, 1785; Elwin (sic) sale (by private contract), [January ff.], 1787 (17) not sold; still in Elwyn’s possession 13 April, 1799; sold to J. J. Angerstein by 1807, when lent by him to the B. I. for copying; purchased with the Angerstein collection, 1824; exh. Five Centuries of European Painting, Whitechapel Art Gallery, 1948 (12).
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.
Exhibition history
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2009Power and Grace. The Patron Saints of EuropeMuseo Nazionale di Palazzo Venezia7 October 2009 - 31 January 2010
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2022Idols & Rivals: Artists in CompetitionKunsthistorisches Museum Wien20 September 2022 - 8 January 2023
Bibliography
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1786125 Pall Mall, A Catalogue of that Truly Superb and Well-Known Collection of Pictures… Property of Monsieur Desenfans… April 8, 1786 and Following Days, London, 8 April 1786
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1823J. Young, A Catalogue of the Celebrated Collection of Pictures of the Late John Julius Angerstein, Esq: Containing a Finished Etching of Every Picture, and Accompanied with Historical and Biographical Notices, London 1823
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1824P.G. Patmore, British Galleries of Art, London 1824
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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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1831D.E. Williams, The Life and Correspondence of Sir Thomas Lawrence, 2 vols, London 1831
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1836J.D. Passavant, Tour of a German Artist in England, London 1836
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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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1860T. Smith, Recollections of the British Institution, London 1860
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1879M. Rooses, Geschiedenis der Antwerpsche Schilderschool, Antwerp 1879
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1882J. Guiffrey, Antoine van Dyck: Sa vie et son oeuvre, Paris 1882
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1890M. Rooses, L'oeuvre de P. P. Rubens, Antwerp 1886
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1900L.H. Cust, Anthony van Dyck: An Historical Study of his Life and Works, London 1900
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1906W. von Bode, 'Anton van Dyck als Mitarbeiter des Peter Paul Rubens', in Rembrandt und seine Zeitgenossen, Leipzig 1906, pp. 255-82
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1928H. Rosenbaum, Der Junge Van Dyck, Munich 1928
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1931G. Glück, Van Dyck, des Meisters Gemälde, Stuttgart 1931
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1932J. Denucé, The Antwerp Art-Galleries: Inventories of the Art-Collections in Antwerp in the 16th and 17th Centuries, Antwerp 1932
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1933G. Glück, Rubens, Van Dyck und ihr Kreis, Vienna 1933
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1940A.J.J. Delen, Het huis van P.P. Rubens, Antwerp 1940
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1941L. Puyvelde, 'The Young van Dyck', The Burlington Magazine, LXXIX/465, 1941, pp. 177-85
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1950L. van Puyvelde, Van Dyck, Brussels 1950
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1956H. Vey, 'Anton van Dycks Ölskizzen', Bulletin: Koninklijke Musea voor Schone Kunsten, 3-4, September 1956, pp. 167-208
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1960H. Gerson and E.H. ter Kuile, Art and Architecture in Belgium 1600-1800, Harmondsworth 1960
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1969M. Jaffé, 'Rubens as a Collector', Journal of the Royal Society of Arts, CXVII/5157, August 1969, pp. 641-60
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1970G. Martin, The Flemish School, circa 1600-circa 1900, London 1970
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1974H. Vlieghe, 'National Gallery Flemish Pictures: National Gallery Catalogues: The Flemish School Circa 1600-Circa 1900 by Gregory Martin', The Burlington Magazine, CXVI/850, 1974, pp. 47-8
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1978A. Macintyre and K. Garlick (eds), The Diary of Joseph Farington, vol. 5, New Haven 1978-1984
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1979J.R. Martin and G. Feigenbaum, Van Dyck as Religious Artist, (exh. cat. Princeton University Art Museum, 7 April - 20 May 1979), Princeton 1979
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1980A. McNairn, The Young van Dyck (exh. cat. National Gallery of Canada, 19 September - 9 November 1980), Ottawa 1980
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1982C. Brown, Van Dyck, Oxford 1982
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1982H. Brigstocke and W. Buchanan, William Buchanan and the 19th Century Art Trade: 100 Letters to his Agents in London and Italy, London 1982
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1983T.L. Glen, 'Observations on van Dyck as a Religious Artist', RACAR: revue d'art canadienne / Canadian Art Review, X/1, 1983, pp. 45-52
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1983J.R. Martin, 'The Young van Dyck and Rubens', RACAR: revue d'art canadienne / Canadian Art Review, X/1, 1983, pp. 37-43
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1983O. Millar, 'Review of Christopher Brown, van Dyck (1982)', Times Literary Supplement, 1983
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1986Martin, Gregory, National Gallery Catalogues: The Flemish School, circa 1600 - circa 1900, London 1986
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1986S.J. Barnes, Van Dyck in Italy, Phd Thesis, New York University 1986
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1986J.D. Stewart, 'Van Dyck by Christopher Brown', RACAR: revue d'art canadienne / Canadian Art Review, XIII, 1986, pp. 139-40
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1988E. Larsen, The Paintings of Anthony van Dyck, Freren 1988
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1988J. Garff and E. de la Pedersen, Rubens Cantoor: The Drawings of Willem Panneels: A Critical Catalogue, trans. E. Dupont, Copenhagen 1988
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1990S.J. Barnes, A.K. Wheelock and J. Held, Anthony Van Dyck, New York 1990-1991
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1992H. Vlieghe, Von Bruegel bis Rubens: Das goldene Jahrhundert der flämischen Malerei, ed. E. Mai, Cologne 1992
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1992F. Billeter, Zur künstlerischen Auseinandersetzung innerhalb des Rubenskreises: Eine Untersuchung am Beispiel früher Historienbilder Jakob Jordaens und Anthonis van Dycks, Frankfurt am Main 1992
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1995C. White, 'Rubens' portrait drawing of Thomas Howard, the second Earl of Arundel’, Burlington Magazine, vol. 137, no. 1106 (May), 1995, pp. 316-9
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1997E. McGrath, Rubens: Subjects from History, ed. A. Balis, London 1997
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1999H. Vlieghe and C. Brown, Van Dyck 1599-1641, Antwerp and London 1999
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2001
C. Baker and T. Henry, The National Gallery: Complete Illustrated Catalogue, London 2001
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2004H. Vey et al., Van Dyck: A Complete Catalogue of the Paintings, New Haven 2004
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2004A. Brejon de Lavergnée et al., Rubens (exh. cat., Palais des Beaux-Arts, Lille), Paris 2004
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2004W. Seipel, R. Trnek and J. Kräftner (eds), Rubens in Vienna. The Masterpieces: The Pictures in the Collections of the Prince of Liechtenstein, the Kunsthistorisches Museum and the Gemäldegalerie der Akademie Der Bildenden Künste in Vienna, Vienna 2004
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2004F. Healey and K.L. Belkin, A House of Art: Rubens as Collector, Antwerp 2004
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2008L. Monnas, Merchants, Princes and Painters. Silk Fabrics in Italian and Northern Paintings, 1300–1550, New Haven 2008
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2009A. Geretti and S. Castri (eds.), Il potere e la grazia: I santi patroni d’Europa (exh. cat., Palazzo Venezia, Rome), Milan 2009
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2012A. Vergara and F. Lammertse, The Young Van Dyck (exh. cat., Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid), Madrid 2012
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2012F. Lammertse and A. Vergara, 'A Portrait of Van Dyck as a Young Artist', in F. Lammertse and A. Vergara (eds), The Young Van Dyck, Madrid 2012, pp. 23-73
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2016E. Bergvelt and M. Jonker, Dutch and Flemish Paintings: Dulwich Picture Gallery, London 2016
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2021C. White, Anthony van Dyck & the Art of Portraiture, London 2021
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.
Images
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