Philip van Santvoort, 'The Rape of Tamar by Amnon', after 1718
About the work
Overview
Philip van Santvoort’s picture shows a violent episode taken from the Old Testament. Amnon, the son of King David and heir to his throne, desired his half-sister Tamar. He faked an illness and asked her to come and cook for him, then raped her.
Van Santvoort has depicted Amnon grabbing hold of Tamar, who seems to be resisting; the pair are frozen mid-movement. The scene looks almost like it is set on a stage, framed by curtains. The combination of silverware, lemons, and oranges spread out in the left foreground is more like a still life than somewhere where food is being prepared, adding to the overall theatrical effect of the setting.
Amnon’s half-brother Absalom would ultimately seek revenge for his sister’s assault, killing all of David’s other sons, including Amnon. Three years after the murder David forgave Absalom, and he returned to Jerusalem.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- The Rape of Tamar by Amnon
- Artist
- Philip van Santvoort
- Artist dates
- active from about 1711/12
- Date made
- after 1718
- Medium and support
- oil on wood
- Dimensions
- 59.8 × 49.4 cm
- Inscription summary
- Signed; Dated
- Acquisition credit
- Presented by Augustine Sargent, 1919
- Inventory number
- NG3404
- Location
- Not on display
- Collection
- Main Collection
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
-
1986Martin, Gregory, National Gallery Catalogues: The Flemish School, circa 1600 - circa 1900, London 1986
-
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.