Jan Tengnagel

G. de Groot, The Hague, by 1921;
Private collection, The Hague, 1954.

H. Schneider, 'Der Maler Jan Tengnagel', in Oud Holland, vol. 39, 1921, pp. 14, 20 and 25, reproduced fig. 4;
W. Bernt, Die Niederländischen Maler des 17. Jahrhunderts, Munich 1962, vol. IV, n.p., cat. no. 272, reproduced;
L. Salerno, Pittori di paesaggio del Seicento a Roma, Rome 1977/78, vol. I, p. 148 and vol. III, p. 1093, note 3.

Described as a 'biblical scene' in the published literature, this painting in fact represents the episode of Roman history recounted by Livy, which relates the mercy of the general, Scipio Africanus. Scipio is here shown reuniting the young female prisoner, captured during the siege of New Carthage, with her fiancé, who has brought with him a ransom of treasure. These gifts were refused by Scipio, who asked only that they and their families be friends of Rome; the general subsequently returned the treasure to the couple as a wedding present.

The silver ewer in the foreground of the picture relates directly to that made by the great Dutch silversmith, Adam van Vianen (Utrecht 1568-1627), now held in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (inv. no. BK-1976-75). Made in memory of the death of his brother, Paulus van Vianen (d. 1613), the ewer features fluid, auricular style decoration and a bizarre mixture of human and animal creatures. A monkey sitting at the base, supporting the body of the ewer, is just visible here. The ewer is dated '1614', providing a terminus post quem for the present work.