Abraham Janssens orchestrates an Olympian drama of striking intensity. At the center, Jupiter, the supreme deity, is reprimanded by an imperious Venus draped in scarlet.
The god’s body, with heroic musculature treated with distinctly baroque sensuality, sags slightly under the weight of reproach, while his face expresses a mood blending annoyance and resignation.
The composition revolves around this divine confrontation, enriched by the presence of other immortals witnessing this unusual scene. The sumptuous draperies—purple, gold, and vermilion—contrast with the pearly flesh of the protagonists, creating a chromatic harmony of great richness. The virtuoso treatment of anatomies, the theatricality of poses, and the expressiveness of faces testify to exceptional technical mastery. The peacock at Jupiter’s feet and the eagle at his side recall his traditional attributes, while dramatic lighting sculpts the bodies with distinctly Caravaggesque vigor.
Additional Information
- Title: Jupiter Rebuked by Venus by Abraham Janssens, circa 1612
- 197.5 × 237.5 cm (77 3/4 × 93 1/2 in.)
- Location: The Art Institute of Chicago, exhibited in Gallery 208, European Paintings and Sculpture
- https://www.artic.edu/artworks/64996/jupiter-rebuked-by-venus
Abraham Janssens (1575-1632), a major figure of the Flemish school in the early 17th century, was Rubens’ principal rival on the Antwerp artistic scene. His five-year Roman sojourn permanently infused his style, allowing him to assimilate the lessons of Italian masters and antiquity.
In this painting created around 1612, one recognizes the influence of Raphael, particularly his frescoes in the Villa Farnesina, but Janssens infuses it with a physical power and dramatic tension that are distinctly Flemish. His ability to marry Italian classicism with Northern sensuality makes him one of the pioneers of Flemish Baroque, whose historical importance, long overshadowed by Rubens’ genius, deserves to be fully recognized today.
