Flemish school of the seventeenth century. Attributed to FRANS FRANCKEN II (Antwerp, Belgium, 1581 - 1642).
"The kiss of Judas".
Oil on panel.
With period frame.
Measures: 55 x 73 cm; 71,5 x 89 cm (frame).
For its technical and formal characteristics, the work that occupies us could have been made by the hand of Frans Francken, the most fruitful of the lineage of the Francken. In it, the artist shows us the Gospel episode of the kiss of Judas: according to the Gospels, Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus of Nazareth in the Garden of Gethsemane by means of a kiss. This decisive moment in the life of Jesus is represented by Francken in a completely baroque manner. Thus, we find ourselves in front of an image full of characters, with a totally variegated composition full of narrative. The most fruitful of his family of painters, he trained with his father, Frans Francken I, and in 1605 he joined the Painters' Guild of St. Luke in Antwerp, thus beginning a career that would last until 1640, when he specialized in cabinet painting. His contribution to this genre was of great importance, influencing artists such as Teniers. His style is based on that of Jan Brueghel de Velours, although it also shows strong influences of his father and his uncle, Hieronimus Francken. In his early works, debts to Mannerism and 16th century painting can be seen, both in the structure of the compositions and in the rhythm and expression of his figures. They also include evident references to the work of Italian artists such as Raphael, Veronese and Zuccaro. Likewise, the use of prints by Dürer and Lucas de Leyden for some of his figures has been demonstrated. In addition to cabinet painting, Francken painted mythological and biblical themes, some altarpieces and, in collaboration with other artists, painted the figures in landscapes or interior scenes of Tobacco.
in landscapes or interior scenes by Tobias Verhaecht, Joos de Momper II, Pieter Neefs or Paul Vredeman de Vries, among others. He is currently represented in the most important art galleries in the world, such as the Prado Museum, the Louvre, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp, the Kunshistorisches Museum in Vienna, the Hermitage in St. Petersburg and the Royal Collection in London, among many others.